Advancements in 2µm High-Power Fiber Laser Systems

Tm-based fiber lasers have emerged as a versatile platform for high-power pulse generation in the 2 µm spectral region, enabling a wide range of scientific and industrial applications. Recent advances in commercial 2 µm fiber laser technology are outlined, covering both ultrafast and nanosecond operation regimes.

In the ultrafast domain, record performance has been achieved with a commercial platform delivering >50 W average power, pulse energies exceeding 0.5 mJ, and pulse durations below 200 fs. Key challenges such as atmospheric water absorption, thermal effects at high power, and nonlinearities in fiber amplifiers are addressed. For industrial applications, a compact and robust ultrafast 2 µm fiber laser platform has been developed with emphasis on serviceability and suitability for semiconductor processing.

In the nanosecond regime, 2 µm fiber lasers now reach up to 1 kW average power and 10 mJ pulse energy, with pulse durations ranging from 10 ns to 500 ns and high wall-plug efficiency. These results represent a significant technological milestone and underline the ongoing progress of this technology.

About the presenter
Christian Gaida, Ph.D., received his master’s in 2013 and his doctorate in physics from Friedrich Schiller University Jena in 2019. His research focuses on high-power fiber laser systems, particularly at 2 µm wavelength.

He has made significant contributions to laser physics through a rigorous analysis of the wavelength dependence of nonlinear and laser-physical effects in thulium-doped fiber laser systems. His work has been recognized with the Applied Photonics Award and the Rohde & Schwarz Dissertation Award for the best doctoral thesis, titled "Power-Scaling of Ultrafast Thulium-Doped Fiber-Laser Systems."

Following his doctorate, he joined Active Fiber Systems GmbH as a technical project manager and currently leads the research and development department.