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In recent years, ultrafast laser systems using large-mode-area fiber amplifiers delivering several hundreds of watts of average power has attracted significant academic and industrial interest. These amplifiers can generate hundreds of kilowatts to megawatts of peak power using direct amplification and multi-gigawatts of peak power using pulse stretching techniques. These amplifiers are enabled by advancements in Photonic Crystal Fiber (PCF) design and manufacturing technology. In this paper, we will give a short overview of state-of-the-art PCF amplifiers and describe the performance in ultrafast ps laser systems.

High-power fiber lasers and amplifiers have gained tremendous momentum in the last 5 years. Many of the traditional manufacturers of gas and solid-state lasers are now pursuing the fiber-based systems, which are displacing the conventional technology in many areas. High-power fiber laser systems require reliable fibers with large cores, stable mode quality, and good power handling capabilities-requirements that are all met by the airclad fiber technology. In the present paper we go through many of the building blocks needed to build high-power systems and we show an example of a complete airclad laser system. We present the latest advancements within airclad fiber technology including a new 100 μm single-mode polarization-maintaining rod-type fiber capable of amplifying to megawatt power levels. Furthermore, we describe the novel airclad-based pump combiners and their use in a completely monolithic 350 W cw fiber laser system with an M2 of less than 1.1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]