The University of Arizona

Arizona Board of Regents, a Body Corporate

Xiushan Zhu

Nasser N Peyghambarian

Robert Andrew Norwood

Axel Schulzgen

A solid-state laser system includes a gain medium having an optical resonator defined therein. The gain medium is co-doped with first and second active elements. The first active element is Erand the second active element is Hoor Dy. The solid-state laser system also includes a pump source coupled to the gain medium for pumping the gain medium with pump light.

Efficient energy transfer from ERto HOand DYin mid-infrared materials

Mid-IR supercontinuum laser source in the 3-12 micron region generating at least tens of watts of optical power and based on non-silica optical fiber pumped by a ZBLAN fiber laser generating light at about 2.7 microns. The zero-dispersion wavelength of the non-silica fiber substantially coincides with the lasing wavelength. The proportion of the SC output above 3 microns exceeds 40 percent of the overall power output.

Mid-infrared supercontinuum fiber laser

A first optical fiber () having a first end and a second end is connected to a multimode second optical fiber () at the second end. The first optical fiber () outputs a substantially single mode optical beam at its second end. The multimode second optical fiber () converts light in the optical beam of single mode from the first optical fiber to light of multiple modes, and provides an output beam that has less diffractive spreading than that of a Gaussian beam.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Xiushan Zhu