Bismuth fiber lasers

Summary form only given. It was shown in 2001 that Bi-doped silica-based glasses emit in a wavelength region of 1100-1500 nm, which overlaps with the low loss window of silica fibers. This makes Bi-doped fibers attractive active media for lasers and amplifiers in this spectral region, which is not covered by rare-earth doped fiber lasers and amplifiers. The first Bi-doped optical fibers were fabricated in 2005 and that year the first Bi-doped fiber laser was made. During the following two years a family of Bi-doped silica-based fiber lasers was created, which operated at 1150-1215 nm. Further investigations of the luminescence of various Bi-doped glasses have shown that some Bi-doped glasses can also emit in a spectral region of 1300-1700 nm, depending on the glass composition and the pumping wavelength. The first Bi-doped fiber lasers with the slope efficiency over 1%, operated in a spectral region of 1300-1520 nm, were made. The review picture of Bi-doped fiber lasers demonstrated up to now is shown. This paper will describe current progress in the research and development of Bi-doped fiber lasers and their possible applications.