High-power 1018 nm ytterbium-doped fiber laser and its application in tandem pump

In this paper, we present our experimental results of a high-power 1018 nm fiber laser and its usage in tandem pump. A record output power of 476 W 1018 nm fiber laser is obtained with an efficiency of 78.2%. Utilizing a specially designed gain fiber, a one-stage high-power monolithic fiber amplifier tandem pumped by six 1018 nm fiber lasers is assembled. A 110 W 1090 nm seed is amplified to 2140 W, and the efficiency is as high as 86.9%. The beam quality factor M2 is measured to be 1.9. Limitations and possible solutions for purchasing higher output power are discussed.