title: Efficient, polarised, gain-switched operation of a Tm-doped fibre laser.
abstract: We present a monolithic, robustly polarised thulium fibre laser which produces pulses with 25 ns duration and energy of up to 35 µJ. A pulsed 1.55 μm source was used to gain switch the laser at repetition rates of up to 300 kHz, producing average powers of up to 8 W at 2.044 µm. To the best of our knowledge this is the highest power gain-switched thulium fibre laser and it is also the first with a linearly polarised output. The large repetition rate, pulse energy and average power will enable efficient energy extraction from a large mode-area, polarisation maintaining thulium fibre amplifier.
authors.affiliation: Electro-Optic Technology Group, Electronic Warfare and Radar Division, Defence Science and Technology Organisation – Edinbugh, South Australia 5111, Australia. nikita.simakov@dsto.defence.gov.au
authors.forename: Nikita
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Simakov
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hemming
authors.forename: Shayne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bennetts
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haub