High output power from an efficient praseodymium-doped fluoride fiber amplifier

A praseodymium doped fluoride fiber amplifier (PDFFA) exhibiting efficient operation in both the large- and the small-signal regimes is described. The amplifier, based on a high NA fluoride fiber, exhibited a maximum small-signal gain of 29 dB and a low-pump small-signal. efficiency of 0.13 dB/mW. In the saturated regime a maximum output power of 212 mW was achieved. In this format, the signal-out versus pump-in characteristic, exhibited a slope efficiency of 30%, representing the most efficient conversion from pump to signal yet reported. Detailed spectral characterization reveals small-signal gain in excess of 20 dB over a wavelength range of almost 50 nm and in excess of 100 mW of saturated output available over a 30-nm wavelength range.<
>