Fluoride glass technology: a breakthrough in the medical field

Fluoride glasses exhibit two majors features of great interest for medical use. Transparent from UV to mid-IR, fluoride glass fibers are the most transparent ones in the 2µm-5.5µm spectral . Their low phonon energy and the large solubility of rare earth in fluoride glass matrix allows many (> 60) rare earth transitions of interest for laser generation and amplification. 2.9µm wavelength corresponds to the water absorption peak. As human body is made of 70% of water, 2.9µm fiber lasers are ideal for surface treatment of living tissues. A new generation of 2.9µm fiber lasers is becoming the game changer of dermatology lasers, and will be key in the next generation of robotic surgery. Single mode visible lasers are of great interest for medical imaging and DNA sequencing. However their power is limited with respect to future requirements. A new generation of multiwatts visible fiber lasers is emerging and will be able to answer many needs for medcial imaging.