Table of Contents
Introduction to ultrafast fiber laser technology
A team of researchers succeeded in developing the new ultrafast fiber laser technology due to coherent laser beam combination with direct water cooling. The laser system produces an average power that is 10 times higher than that of current high-powered fiber lasers, combining the output of 12 amplifiers.
Overcoming waste heat challenges
This combination allows for fiber laser systems to overcome any challenges presented by the waste heat that they create when emitting laser beam light. Current lasers’ parameters enable them to effectively dissipate waste heat (in the range of a single kW), but the exit beyond that range of power leads to a decrease in laser beam quality.
Performance and specifications
The new fiber laser system emits 10.4 kW average power at 80 MHz repetition, without any decrease in laser beam quality. The operating principle is based on the laser system that “is turned on and optimized channel-by-channel, with each channel performing at maximum pump power.” Additionally, the fiber laser has already been tested and demonstrated 96% combined efficiency with a laser beam pulse energy of 130 μJ and a pulse duration of 250 fs. Thus, the problem of high noise has been overcome in the early stage due to direct water cooling, resulting in a highly reliable laser system.
In the development stage, the fiber laser demonstrated excellent performance at low average laser beam power for deactivated water cooling. When the cooling is activated, the level of noise increases and requires the cooling system. The amplifier layout has been changed, leading to solving the existing problem.
Beam quality and coherent combination
The researchers claim that the new fiber laser technology makes the system close to ideal laser beam quality, which is considered to be equal to 1. It is important because the aim of the development is the solution to solve the heat-induced problem of laser beam quality of individual amplifiers.
Advantages of coherent beam combination
The coherent beam combination makes it possible to unite several high-powered laser beams into one, and the power and beam quality remain the same while increasing brightness. This fiber laser can be used in extreme applications, for example, laser-driven particle acceleration and space debris removal. This laser system is ideal in industrial and manufacturing industries, for instance, in high-speed scanning and ablation cooling.
Finally, the fiber laser system has a sealed housing that prevents it from dust contamination during the operational process.