Watt-level dysprosium fiber laser at 3.15 μm with 73% slope efficiency

Abstract: Rare-earth-doped fiber lasers are emerging as promising high-power mid-infrared sources for the 2.6-3.0 {\mu}m and 3.3-3.8 {\mu}m regions based on erbium and holmium ions. The intermediate wavelength range, however, remains vastly underserved, despite prospects for important manufacturing and defense applications. Here, we demonstrate the potential of dysprosium-doped fiber to solve this problem, with a simple in-band pumped grating-stabilized linear cavity generating up to 1.06 W at 3.15 {\mu}m. A slope efficiency of 73% with respect to launched power (77% relative to absorbed power) is achieved: the highest value for any mid-infrared fiber laser to date, to the best of our knowledge. Opportunities for further power and efficiency scaling are also discussed.