title: A high efficiency architecture for cascaded Raman fiber lasers.
abstract: We demonstrate a new high efficiency architecture for cascaded Raman fiber lasers based on a single pass cascaded amplifier configuration. Conversion is seeded at all intermediate Stokes wavelengths using a multi-wavelength seed source. A lower power Raman laser based on the conventional cascaded Raman resonator architecture provides a convenient seed source providing all the necessary wavelengths simultaneously. In this work we demonstrate a 1480nm laser pumped by an 1117nm Yb-doped fiber laser with maximum output power of 204W and conversion efficiency of 65% (quantum-limited efficiency is ~75%). We believe both the output power and conversion efficiency (relative to quantum-limited efficiency) are the highest reported for cascaded Raman fiber lasers.
authors.affiliation: OFS Laboratories, 19 Schoolhouse Road, Somerset, New Jersey 08873, USA. supradeepa@ofsoptics.com
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Supradeepa
authors.forename: Jeffrey W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Nichsolson
authors.forename: Clifford E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Headley
authors.forename: Man F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Bera
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Palsdottir
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jakobsen
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007834:Lasers; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000295:instrumentation*