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Cylindrical vector-polarized vortex pulses from a passively Q-switched laser are demonstrated. Pump radiation reshaped into a size-controlled annular profile via circular Dammann grating produces an efficient excitation of the LG01 mode. The YAG / Nd : YAG / Cr4 + : YAG composite crystal structure is found to reduce the Q-switching threshold and significantly suppress thermal damage, thus allowing ability to obtain a passively Q-switched pulse. The threshold pumping power is found to be 4.35 W, with a slope efficiency of 23.1%. A maximum peak power of 3.24 kW, maximum pulse energy of 53.46 μJ, pulse width of 17.5 ns, and repetition rate of 2.695 kHz are obtained. Furthermore, a radially polarized output with a polarization degree of 88.9% is confirmed. Finally, mode and polarization tuning are also discussed.

In this paper, we demonstrate a digital micromirror device (DMD) based optical microscopic apparatus for quantitative differential phase contrast (qDIC) imaging, coherent structured illumination microscopy (SIM), and dual-modality (scattering/fluorescent) imaging. For both the qDIC imaging and the coherent SIM, two sets of fringe patterns with orthogonal orientations and five phase-shifts for each orientation, are generated by a DMD and projected on a sample. A CCD camera records the generated images in a defocusing manner for qDIC and an in-focus manner for coherent SIM. Both quantitative phase images and super-resolved scattering/fluorescence images can be reconstructed from the recorded intensity images. Moreover, fluorescent imaging modality is integrated, providing specific biochemical structures of the sample once using fluorescent labeling. We believe such a simple and versatile apparatus will find wide applications in biomedical fields or life science.

Micro-cantilever sensors have shown great promise in a wide range of applications including chemical medical and biological sensing. However, many of these devices are based upon a sensor ‘chip’ that requires careful alignment between the cantilever and the read-out system, which can be challenging. Furthermore, optical interrogation typically involves a bulky free-space system. Optical fiber addressed cantilevers have been reported previously in the literature and in this paper we propose techniques to design and fabricate polymer micro-cantilevers onto the end of standard single mode fibers using ns-laser machining. The cantilever will deflect and thereby observing biological binding between species of interests and activated cantilevers. Proof-of-concept experiments demonstrate that the sensor is capable of detecting Listeria food pathogen concentrations with a minimum level of less than 105cfu/ml.

We demonstrated an LG01-mode vortex Ti:Sapphire laser by utilizing an intracavity spot defect for spatial filtering. At the 140-μm diameter of spot defect, the power of vortex laser output reached 135 mW, and the slope efficiency of laser was 17.7%. The effects of the sizes of spot defects on the transverse laser modes and laser powers were also discussed.

An azimuthally polarized and passively Q-switched ytterbium-doped fiber laser was demonstrated. With the involvement of a single lens inside the laser resonator, a birefringent crystal was used as the polarization discriminator, and a Cr 4+ :YAG crystal acted as the saturable absorber and also the output coupler. For the simplicity and low optical loss of the resonator cavity, this fiber laser emitted azimuthally polarized pulse with a high slope efficiency of 72.6% and high average power of 4.11 W. The laser pulse had 132-ns duration and 112-kHz repetition rate at the absorbed pump power of 6.40 W.

We reported an efficient and actively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser that emitted the first order Laguerre–Gaussian mode with right-handedness helical wavefront. In the experiment, the pump light was converted into annular profile through off-focus coupling in a conventional multi-mode fiber. The laser cavity, consisting of a laser crystal and an output coupler and incorporating an acousto-optic Q switch and an etalon, was simple and compact. The Q-switched performance of the laser was given in detail.

We reported, for the first time, a radially polarized and passively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser with annular-shaped pumping. The annular intensity profile of the pump light was originated from the mode conversion in a conventional multi-mode fiber under off-focus coupling. Radially polarized pulse from this laser had 3.3 kW peak power, 39 ns duration at 2.5-kHz repetition rate with ~90% degree of polarization. When the laser crystal was slightly tilted, the polarization state of laser beam was switched to azimuthal polarization at high pump power, while remained radial polarization at lower pump power.

We demonstrated a radially polarized, LG01-mode Nd:YAG laser by applying annular-shaped pump light. The annular profile of the pump light was originated from the mode conversion inside a conventional multimode fiber under off-focus coupling condition. This laser gave a maximum output power of 1.2 W at 1,064 nm with a slope efficiency of 28.3 %.

A diode pumped and passively Q-switched Nd:YVO4 laser was demonstrated to emit kW-peak-power pulse. This laser was compact, low-threshold and free of any active cooling. The emitted light pulse showed 6.9-ns duration, 3.3-kW peak power and 25.4-kHz repetition frequency at 3.5-W pump power. The laser output was stable and the laser beam had a near-diffraction-limited quality.

The excitation of high-order Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) modes in a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser resonator was presented by applying the diffraction of a second-order circular Dammann grating (CDG) for annular pumping. In the study, the 808 nm pump light was shaped into a double-ring structure by the CDG and matched spatially with that of an ideal LG11 mode. As a result, the laser resonator generated an LG11 vortex mode, and the laser power reached 204 mW with 14.5% slope efficiency. Also, when the cavity mirror was tilted, the laser output could switch to the LG01 vortex mode. The results showed the convenience and versatility of CDG in an annular-pumped vortex laser.

A study on Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) modes selection in cw and pulsed Nd:YAG or Yb:YAG ceramic lasers pumped by diodes or an external laser source was carried out. Methods of scalar and vector LG modes selection from low to high orders, involving shaping of the pump profile, usage of intra-cavity lenses, uniaxial crystals and polarization selective mirrors, are considered. CCD camera images of beam profiles of hollow scalar LGpm modes (p -radial, m -azimuth indices) of record high-orders and Bessel-like multi-ring modes with highly directional propagation properties are presented. CW and pulsed ceramic lasers with radially or azimuthally polarized LG vector modes of low and high orders are also demonstrated. Applications of the developed laser schemes and LG beams are discussed. (© 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

A method on amplitude-weighted array technology is proposed based on an analytical formula in which the radiation amplitudes of array elements are evaluated analytically by a random symmetrical far-field radiation pattern. Using this formula, any desired spatial radiation pattern in the far field could be built by applying the analytical solutions of radiation amplitudes of array elements. To check the validity of this formula as well as the proposed technique, an annular intensity distribution as target far-field pattern is designed, and the respective radiation amplitude of array elements are determined by solving the formula analytically. The available far-field pattern is calculated by applying these solutions and then compared with the target far-field pattern. The theoretical results show the capabilities of the analytical derivation as well as the proposed technique in forming specific radiation patterns.

A laser-diode end-pumped Nd:YVO4 crystal laser is demonstrated to emit the first-order Laguerre-Gaussian (LG01) mode with 502-mW laser power and 22% slope efficiency. The LG01-mode is lased only when the pumping area locates in the central part of the laser crystal's front surface, and thereafter the symmetrical LG01-HG01-TEM00 mode transition happens when laser crystal is moved laterally inside several-tens-micron area. The possible mechanism responsible for the phenomenon of symmetrical mode transition is also discussed.

Over the last twenty years, diode pumping of solid-state lasers has opened new prospects for the mode control and formation of Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams, enabling a large variety of applications. Experiments on scalar and vector LG modes selection in Nd3+- and Yb3+-doped ceramics and crystal lasers carried out at the Institute for Laser Science, Tokyo are reviewed. Selection of LG modes from low to high orders using intra-cavity elements, polarization-selective mirrors, or shaping the pump beam profile, is considered. Illustrations of record-high-order LG hollow modes, multiring modes with highly directional propagation properties, characteristics of cw and pulsed lasers with radially or azimuthally polarized beams of high polarization purity are presented. General solutions of the wave equation for the axi-symmetric electric field, which describe LG beams of various profiles, are proposed for data analysis. In parallel, a short review on LG modes selection studies carried out at other laboratories is given.

In this paper, we demonstrated an actively Q-switched, radially polarized, and laser-diode end-pumped Nd:YAG laser with an acousto-optic modulator as the Q switch and a photonic crystal grating as the output coupler. The laser generated pulses of 26.4–67.2 ns duration, and the repetition rate can be continuously adjusted from 500 Hz to 9.238 kHz with peak power up to 7.75 kW. Such a radially polarized pulse would facilitate numerous applications.

This letter reports the generation of watt-level radially polarized light from an LD end-pumped Nd:YAG laser by utilizing a photonic crystal grating as the polarization-selective output coupler. The Nd:YAG crystal is bonded with two un-doped YAG crystal end caps, which is used to weaken the thermal lens effect and thus enhance the extraction of stored energy in bulk gain material. The radially polarized output from this laser reached 1.29-W laser power, 46.5% slope efficiency and a polarization purity of 97.9%.

We proposed an efficient and vortex Nd:YAG laser for selective lasing of low- and high-order vortex modes, in which multiple-ring pump light was originated from cascaded conical refraction of multiple biaxial crystals. In our proof of concept demonstration, we used two-crystal cascade conical refraction to generate two-ring pump light; the mutual intensity ratio and relative separation of the inner ring and outer ring were controlled by rotating the second biaxial crystal and by moving the imaging lens, respectively. As a result, we obtained selective excitation of Laguerre–Gaussian (LG01 and LG03) vortex modes in the end-pump Nd:YAG laser. For LG01-mode output, the laser power reached 439 mW with 52.5% slope efficiency; for LG03-mode output, the laser power reached 160 mW with 41.3% slope efficiency. Our results revealed that the multiple-ring pumping technique based on cascaded conical refraction would pave the way for realization of the efficient and switchable excitation of low- and high-order LG modes in an end-pumped solid-state laser.

Thanks to diode pumping through an optical bifurcated fiber, we take benefit of the birefringence of the Yb3+-doped GdAl3(BO3)4 crystal to get two-polarization and two-wavelength laser operation both in CW and in passive Q-switch regimes. Typical differential slopes are 54% and 30% respectively for the o- and e-waves. In the pulse regime the two o- and e-pulses are synchronous but not simultaneous. Free running laser emissions near 1040 and 1046 nm for the e- and o-waves respectively were obtained with 2.5 nm FWHM.

A passively-Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) ceramic microchip laser was demonstrated to emit azimuthally polarized beam bus using a chromium-doped YAG (Cr4+:YAG) crystal as saturable absorber and a multilayer concentric subwavelength grating as polarization-selective output coupler. The laser's output power reached 512 mW with an initial slope efficiency of nearly 60%, and the pulse had 1.15-kW peak power with 40-ns duration and 11-kHz repetition rate at 3.9-W absorbed pump power. The laser beam's polarization degree was 97.6%. The thermal lensing effect in Nd:YAG microchip remained as a problem to be solved.

An efficient radial-polarization Yb-fiber laser with an intracavity Brewster axicon is demonstrated. The fraction of ASE at low pumping and parasitical oscillation are minimized by adopting bidirectional pumping and angle-polished fiber end. So far, except for the improvement in polarization purity and cylindrical symmetry of output beam, 39-mW output power is obtained at 460-mW launched pump power with 13.8% slope efficiency. And also a new type of low-V-parameter multi-mode gain fiber with doughnut concentration distribution of active ions in fiber core profile is predicted to be promising in improving the laser performance further.

NaGd(WO4)(2):Yb3+, Ho3+ single crystals have been grown by the Czochralski technique along the (0 0 1) orientation. Conversion of the infrared (IR) radiation at 980 nm into the visible emission in NaGd(WO4)(2) crystals containing several different concentrations of Yb3+ and Ho3+ has been investigated. The NaGd(WO4)(2): 8 at. % Yb3+, 4 at. % Ho3+ system exhibits intense red upconverted emission originating from the F-5(5) level. The upconversion mechanism in a Ho3+-Yb3+ system under near infrared excitation is discussed. It is concluded that the green emission is excited by energy transfers from Yb3+ to Ho3+, whereas excited state absorption is involved in the excitation of red emission. The emission cross-section of the F-5(5) -> I-5(8) transition at about 660 nm was estimated by using the Fuchtbauer-Ladengurg formula.

The transient temperature profile in CW- and end-pumped passively Q-switched (PQS) microchip laser is investigated qualitatively by treating the population inversion (thereby the thermal load) as the sawtooth function of the time. The numerical results reveal not only the dynamics of thermal buildup, but also the dependence of the quasi-steady-state temperature rise and the repetitively oscillatory amplitude on the incident pump power and the pulse repetition rate of PQS laser. The abruptly ascending branch of the repetitive temperature oscillation is synchronized with the pulsing stage of PQS laser. As the result, the abrupt temperature transition during the pulsing stage would introduce the fluctuation into the PQS pulse parameters (pulse energy, pulse width, and peak power) via temperature-dependent stimulated emission and thermal lensing effect.

We demonstrated a passively Q-switched Yb-doped fiber laser that emitted azimuthally polarized pulse with high efficiency and high output power. The polarization discrimination mechanism by utilizing a single lens and a birefringent crystal was developed.

The polarized absorption and emission spectra of Pr3+ ions in NaY(MoO4)2 single crystal were investigated. The standard and modified Judd–Ofelt theory have been applied to the measured optical absorption intensities to determine the spectroscopic parameters, including the Judd–Oflet intensity parameters Ωt (t=2,4,6), the radiative transition rates, branching ratios, and emission cross-sections for various excited levels of Pr3+ ions. In samples with Pr3+ ions concentration of 2.00×1020 cm-3, the excitation of the 1D2 manifold decays non-radiatively by the electric dipole–dipole transfer between Pr3+ neighbors. The good spectroscopic properties show the possible application of the Pr3+ doped NaY(MoO4)2 crystal as a solid-state laser.

A Tm3+-doped NaLa(WO4)2 single crystal with a dimension of Φ20 mm×40 mm was grown by the Czochralski method. Anisotropic thermal expansion coefficients of this crystal were investigated. Polarized absorption spectra, emission spectra and decay curve were recorded at room temperature. The absorption and emission cross-section were presented. Based on the Judd–Ofelt analysis, we obtained the three intensity parameters: Ω2=10.21×10-20, Ω4=2.66×10-20, and Ω6=1.46×10-20 cm2. The radiative probabilities, radiative lifetimes, and branch ratios of Tm3+:NaLa(WO4)2 were calculated, too. Luminescence lifetime of the 3 H 4 level was measured to be 220 μs. The stimulated emission cross-section for the 3 F 4→3 H 6 transition were determined using the reciprocity method, potential laser gain for this transition were also investigated, the gain curves implied that the tunable range is up to 200 nm.

Yb3+:GdAl3(BO3)4 (hereafter Yb3+:GAB) crystals with large sizes and good optical quality have been grown by the top-seed solution growth (TSSG) method. The polarized absorption and emission spectra have been investigated at room temperature. For the σ-polarization, the intensities of both absorption and emission spectra are stronger than those for the π-polarization, the σ-absorption cross section of Yb3+ in GAB being 3.43×10-20 cm2 at 977 nm, and the σ-emission cross section being 0.98×10-20 cm2 at 1045 nm. The fluorescence lifetime of the 2 F 5/2→2 F 7/2 transition was measured to be 800 μs in the 5% doped sample used for our laser experiments, 993 μs in a 10% doped sample and 569 μs in a 0.5% doped sample. The laser parameters were estimated as: βmin=0.022, Isat=10.4 kW/cm2 and Imin=0.23 kW/cm2. About 0.4 W laseroutput at the wavelength of 1043 nm was achieved when the Yb3+:GAB crystal was pumped by a 974 nm laser diode, with 27.4% slope efficiency.

The pump-bypassed laser cavity is suggested as a suitable configuration for investigating the self-pulsing instability in fibre laser. Such arrangement allows access to the residual pump light, which acts as a probe of the intra-cavity dynamics and reflects the inversion variation along the whole gain fibre. We check this method with ytterbium-doped fibre (YDF) laser. The experimental results in original cavity and modified cavity are offered in detail respectively. The analyses of both the temporal traces of the residual pump and laser signal manifest that the various instabilities in YDF laser are associated with the interactions among stimulated emission, pump and/or reabsorption, dependently on the inversion level and also the intensities of the pump and laser intra-cavity signal.

We demonstrate an end-pumped, c-cut Nd:YVO4 laser that emitted first-order Laguerre-Gaussian (LG01) beam by adjusting the position of focused pump beam relative to laser crystal. The pumping light reached the laser crystal has circular and solid intensity profile. The laser is compact and stable, and the obtained LG01 beam power reaches 202 mW with ~25% slope efficiency.

We demonstrate a linearly-polarized, ytterbium-doped fiber laser that uses an uncoated, undoped ceramic YAG plate as the output coupler, and the corresponding polarization extinction ratio of laser beam increases with incident pump power and then saturates at larger pump power. For comparison, the output coupler of the fiber laser is replaced by 10% reflectivity plane mirror, while the feature of the polarization of laser output is kept unchanged. The results show that the origin of the pump-dependent and self-started polarization is associated with the intensity-dependent nonlinear birefringence in the gain fiber.

We presented a proof-of-concept investigation upon an end-pumped and vortex Nd:YAG laser. In this laser, for the first time, the conical refraction (CR) ring of a biaxial KGd(WO4)2 crystal was used for annular pumping. Owing to nearly 100% conversion efficiency in forming the CR ring, the Nd:YAG laser was highly efficient and emitted LG01-mode vortex light with 177.5 mW beam power and 65% slope efficiency. This study showed the CR ring pumping would favor the production of a compact, simple and efficient vortex laser. It is expected that, in future, the CR ring pumping technique would also facilitate the high-power vortex solid-state laser where a long gain medium is required.

We report on a radially polarized and passively Q-switched Nd:YAG/Cr4+:YAG laser. The bulk Nd:YAG crystal is bonded with two undoped YAG crystal end caps to weaken the thermal lens e?ect and thus, enhance the extraction of stored energy in the bulk gain material. In the absence of active water cooling, the average laser power reaches 383 mW with 33% slope e±ciency, and the laser pulse achieves 1.457-W peak power, 18.9-ns duration, and 13.9-kHz repetition rate with 97.6% polarization purity.

We reported our proof-of-concept investigation in developing an arrayed and passively Q-switched Nd:YVO4 laser. In the investigation, we used a Dammann grating to diffract the pumping light from a 808 nm laser diode into 2×2 pump beam array, and then used this pump array to pump a monolithic Nd:YVO4 laser crystal standing with a Cr4+:YAG saturable absorber inside a simple plano–plano resonator. As a result, 2×2 arrayed and nanosecond laser pulses were emitted. The laser-diode-pumped monolithic solid-state laser incorporated with a Dammann grating is promising for application in high-peak-power and multipoint pulse ignition of an automobile engine.

The photorefractive holographic recording is a dynamic grating formulation process, where the grating is induced by the interference modulation of two beams, and the energies of the beams are exchanged with each other owing to their interaction in the induced grating. The grating modulation envelope is a comprehensive analysis for holographic dynamic recording and non-destructive readout, but analytic solutions can only be obtained by simultaneously solving the materials equations and the coupled wave equations. In this paper, based on Kukhtarev's model and Moharam's field function exact steady-state analytic expressions for dynamic grating envelopes are deduced for any constant values of light modulation depth and light excitation efficiency. Thus their approximations for straight formulation instead of parametric formulation are then obtained. These steady-state analytic solutions to envelopes describe the dynamic holographic recording and readout more clearly and exactly.

The photorefractive holographic recording and two-beam coupling are both dynamic grating formulation process. The interference light intensity of the two coherent beams induces a phase grating though photo-induced refractive index variation and the phase grating changing the intensities of the two beams through beam-coupling take place at the same time. By solving simultaneously the band transport equations and wave-coupled equations, and using the light intensity modulation as the main variable, the analytic solution is obtained, which is valid for any light intensity modulation and constant light excitation efficiency. Here all the mechanics of drift, diffusion and photovoltaic effect are considered. The result shows that the modulation of the dynamic grating varies more slowly compared with that of the linear modulation approximation.

The transient interaction between a refraction index grating and light beams during simultaneous writing and thermal fixing of a photorefractive hologram is investigated. With a diffusion- and photovoltaic-dominated carrier transport mechanism and carrier thermal activation (temperature dependent) considered in Fe:LiNbO3 crystal, from the standpoint of field–material coupling, the theoretical thermal fixing time and the space-charge field buildup, spatial distribution, and temperature dependence are given numerically by combining the band transport model with mobile ions with the coupled-wave equation. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 23: 372–376, 1999.

A scheme using a CO 2 laser beam to thermally fix selective layers or lumps of photorefractive holograms to integrate and miniaturize an optical three-dimensional system into a single block of LiNbO 3 crystal is suggested. Theoretical and experimental investigations on laser local thermal lixing are given, and a stage of the modified gamma network is demonstrated experimentally.

An arrayed-output Nd:YVO4 laser is demonstrated in which the collimated pumping light is split into 2×2 array by a Dammann grating and thus forms four independent pumping areas in one single laser crystal.

An laser-diode (LD) end-pumped Nd-doped Yttrium Vanadate (Nd:YVO4) laser was demonstrated to emit the first order Laguerre-Gaussian (LG01) mode. This LG01-mode laser is compact and efficient.

By introducing a circular Dammann grating (CDG) into the pump unit, we demonstrated an end-pumped Nd:YAG laser that emitted a vortex and first-order LG mode with high laser efficiency and high power. In our scheme, the CDG was used to reshape the pumping light into an annular profile, and the adaptation of it was realized easily by inserting it into the pump unit of a conventional end-pumped solid-state laser; the laser cavity was simple, compact, and consisted of only a laser crystal and an output coupler. The beam power of this laser reached 1.86 W at an absorbed pump power of 6.38 W with a slope efficiency of 34.5%.

Radially polarized light attracts much attention because of its applications in high-precise metal cutting, optical tweezers and other fields. Many schemes have been developed to force the radial-polarization excitation in laser resonator by employing various intracavity polarization selectors, such as birefringent crystal and/or conical Brewster window [1]. These methods, however, are applicable only in a limited range of laser output power [1], and encounter big challenges in improving the laser efficiency, beam's cylindrical symmetry and polarization purity simultaneously. In recent years the photonic crystal grating (PCG), one kind of three-dimensional sub-wavelength gratings, appeared as an effective polarization-dependent element which can provide the specified reflectivity/transmission to the radial polarization and thus can play as the output coupler of laser resonator for desired polarization. Such grating mirror shows unique superiority when combining with compact and end-pumped microchip laser in providing high polarization purity and excellent modal symmetry as well as high laser efficiency embodied in the radial-polarization emission [2]. However, the thermal lens effect in the end-pumped microchip gain medium remained as an obstacle for further power scaling, and so far the output power from such laser is kept in the hundreds milliwatts level. An efficient, high-power and compact solid state laser that emits radially polarized light with high polarization purity would be extremely desirable.

A simulated annealing algorithm is adopted to give an automatic pump configuration in laser-diode backward-pumped-distributed fiber Raman amplifiers. The demonstration of the optimization process of wavelengths and powers in an optical-fiber Raman amplifier using four laser-diode pumps is presented. The resulting gain ripple is less than 2.6 dB in respect to the 30 dB average gain in the amplification bandwidth of more than 50 nm (64 signal channels). The algorithm can be practically applied to the desired signal channel number and gain profile.

A simulated annealing algorithm is adopted to design multiple-pump Raman fiber amplifiers. A demonstration of the optical fiber Raman amplifier using five laser diode pumps with different wavelengths and powers is presented. The automatic configuration of the pump gives an amplification bandwidth of more than 50 nm (64 signal channels), with a fluctuation of less than 1.8 dB. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 30: 434–436, 2001.

High-peak power and nanosecond Q-switched lasers pulse with axisymmetrical polarization could find significant in industrial areas for marking, trimming, and machining, and also in particle manipulation [1] and optical tweezers etc. There is no doubt that the construction of such a new type of laser source, which emits axisymmetrically polarized pulse with high-peak power and short duration, would mention the combination of the passive Q switching technique and polarization control technique. In this paper a LD end-pumped Nd:YAG ceramic microchip laser passively Q-switched by Cr4+:YAG absorber is demonstrated to generate axisymmetrically polarized pulse. The reason to employ the end-pumped microchip laser lies in the fact that such cavity configuration is beneficial carrier both for producing energetic Q-switched pulse and also the axisymmetrical polarization [2].

Cylindrical vector beams were produced from laser diode end-pumped Nd:YAG ceramic microchip laser by use of two types of subwavelength multilayer gratings as the axisymmetric-polarization output couplers respectively. The grating mirrors are composed of high- and low-refractive- index (Nb(2)O(5)/SiO(2)) layers alternately while each layer is shaped into triangle and concentric corrugations. For radially polarized laser output, the beam power reached 610mW with a polarization extinction ratio (PER) of 61:1 and a slope efficiency of 68.2%; for azimuthally polarized laser output, the beam power reached 626mW with a PER of 58:1 and a slope efficiency of 47.6%. In both cases, the laser beams had near-diffraction limited quality. Small differences of beam power, PER and slope efficiency between radially and azimuthally polarized laser outputs were not critical, and could be minimized by further optimized adjustment to laser cavity and the reflectances of respective grating mirrors. The results manifested, by use of the photonic crystal gratings mirrors and end-pumped microchip laser configuration, CVBs can be generated efficiently with high modal symmetry and polarization purity.

The radially polarized mode is achieved from an active Yb fiber by utilizing of an intracavity converging axicon, where the axicon acts as a TM(01) mode selector based on not only its Brewster convex surface but also the distance between its vertex and plane output coupler. The polarization state of the annular laser beam is checked by using a home-made eight-hole aperture. Furthermore, an uncoated plane glass plate is inserted into the cavity, and the reflected beam points to the existence of an annular lasing mode inside the gain fiber. The issues for developing high-power radially polarized fiber lasers also are considered.

This presentation will describe the recent improvements in Yb-fiber laser by applying a converging axicon. The measured results reveal this annular beam has a radial polarization with a polarization extinction ratio in the range from 2.3 to 4.4.

An ytterbium-doped fiber laser was demonstrated to emit azimuthally polarized light with high laser power and efficiency, in which a birefringent yttrium vanadate (YVO(4)) crystal was used as the intracavity polarization discriminator. The laser power reached 3.94 W with a slope efficiency of ∼71%. Our study proved that an efficient, high-power vector fiber laser would be realistic under the utilization of a simple and low-cost birefringent crystal as polarization discriminator.