Abstract

We report a novel, Tm-doped photonic crystal fiber (PCF) actively $Q$-switched oscillator that provides $\sim 8.9\mathrm{kW}$ peak power with 435 µJ, 49 ns pulses at 10 kHz repetition rate at 2 μm wavelength. This fiber has a mode-field area $>1000{\mathrm{\mu m}}^2$, the largest of any flexible PCF providing diffraction-limited beam quality to the best of our knowledge. As an application, the oscillator is used as pump to generate $>350\mathrm{nm}$ broadening in $\sim 50\mathrm{m}$ of SMF-28 fiber.

©2012 Optical Society of America

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