SPI - Single-Fiber Laser Breaks the kW Barrier

SOUTHAMPTON, England--Aug. 2, 20037, 2003--Southampton Photonics, Inc. (SPI) and the University of Southampton's Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) today announced a major breakthrough by demonstrating over 1kW output in a high-quality beam (M2 approx 3) from a single-fiber laser.

The team, led by Johan Nilsson, Yoonchan Jeong (at the ORC) and Ray Horley (at SPI), achieved the result in an Ytterbium-Doped Fiber Laser operating at 1090nm. The laser exhibited significantly improved beam quality compared to conventional high-power lasers and to previously reported large-core multimode fiber lasers. The new laser also exhibited extremely high efficiency (80%) relative to the launched diode-laser pump power.

As a further indication of the potential of fiber lasers to combine high beam quality and output power, the team also demonstrated a record 600W of output in a single transverse mode (M2=1.26).

David Payne, SPI's Chairman and Director of the ORC, commented: "Breaking the kW barrier with a single fiber having high beam quality is a milestone thought to be virtually unattainable just a few years ago, and now we have done it. Our high power fiber laser program team has set many world records over the past two years, but this one stands apart."

David Parker, SPI's CEO, added: "SPI will be commercializing the kW laser technology for Industrial and Aerospace applications requiring compact, reliable kW sources. We also anticipate that lasers with this level of performance will be utilized as standard building blocks for even higher power applications."

This work was funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency under their High-Power Fiber Laser Program.

"A" (Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited).

Note to Editors: The M2 value is an indication of beam quality, with unity being a diffraction-limited beam. Few lasers achieve this level of perfection. High beam quality is important in many applications where precise control of the laser beam parameters, such as working distance, depth of field and spot size, is required.

About SPI (Southampton Photonics)

SPI is leading the way in the commercialization of disruptive products, with powers ranging from mWs to kWs, for the Industrial, Aerospace, Analytical, Sensing and Communications markets. The company's advanced specialty fiber technology underpins its innovations in fiber lasers (excellent beam quality), amplification and wavelength management enabling it to deliver products offering unbeatable performance and reliability combined with the lowest cost of ownership in a broad range of applications. SPI provides a "toolkit" of high power and pulsed fiber lasers, components and subsystems for OEM customers for applications from cutting and welding to marking and ablation; DFB fiber lasers and arrays for sensing and analytical applications; fiber Bragg gratings for a variety of wavelength management applications and high-power optical amplifiers and sources.