Dispersion measurement of ultra-high numerical aperture fibers covering thulium, holmium, and erbium emission wavelengths

We present broadband group velocity dispersion (GVD) measurements of commercially available ultra-high numerical aperture fibers (UHNA1, UHNA3, UHNA4, UHNA7, and PM2000D from Coherent-Nufern). Although these fibers are attractive for dispersion management in ultra-fast fiber laser systems in the 2 μm wavelength region, experimental dispersion data in the literature is scarce and inconsistent. Here we demonstrate the measurements using the spectral interferometry technique covering the typically used erbium, thulium, and holmium emission bands. The results are characterized in terms of the standard-deviation uncertainty and compared with previous literature reports. Fitting parameters are provided for each fiber allowing for the straightforward replication of the measured dispersion profiles. This work is intended to facilitate the design of ultra-fast fiber laser sources and the investigations of nonlinear optical phenomena.