High-power single-frequency pulsed laser based on a Yb-doped large-pitch photonic crystal fiber

We have developed a high-power single-frequency pulsed fiber laser system utilizing a Yb-doped rod-type large-pitch photonic crystal fiber. The maximal peak power is 33 kW with a 0.4-mJ pulse energy and a 70-MHz linewidth, and the average power is 60 W at a 150-kHz repetition rate. At a higher repetition rate, the average power can be increased to 190 W, which is limited by the onset of transverse-mode instability in the large-pitch photonic crystal fiber. The output beam is linearly polarized and shows a good beam quality with a M2 value of 1.2.