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A compact random fiber laser based on a short artificial Rayleigh reflector and heavily-doped Er fibers (custom-made and commercial as a reference) has been proposed, characterized and optimized in terms of efficiency, linewidth and noise level. A 10-cm artificial Rayleigh reflector with mean scattering level of +41.3 dB/mm relative to the natural Rayleigh scattering of the host fiber and low insertion loss level (~0.05 dB/cm at 1535 nm) was fabricated using a femtosecond direct writing technique. Its implementation as a distributed output mirror in a half-open cavity of a 980-nm diode pumped Er-doped fiber laser results in random lasing at 1535 nm in single- and few-mode regimes with power up to 100 mW, slope efficiency up to 16.5%, and signal-to-noise ratio up to 60 dB. A single-frequency regime with ~10 KHz linewidth was observed at output power up to 2.5 mW. Tunability potential of such random lasers is also demonstrated.

A distributed temperature monitoring inside a cavity of ytterbium DFB and holmium fiber lasers has been demonstrated with a spatial resolution of 1 and 5 mm, respectively, for the first time to the best of our knowledge. For this, we use an optical backscatter reflectometer, which measures intracore temperature, and compare it with the data of an IR thermographic camera, which measures temperature from the surface of a fiber. In the case of holmium fiber laser pumped at a wavelength of 1125 nm with a power of 6 W, the maximum temperature variation along the ∼3-m active fiber reaches ∼60 °C. In the case of ytterbium DFB laser, we observe a strong inhomogeneity of the temperature along the DFB cavity, which leads to a significant decrease in the lasing efficiency. When pumped by a single-mode laser diode at a wavelength of 976 nm with a power of up to 526 mW, the maximum temperature difference reaches 37 °C for the 37-mm DBF cavity.

In this paper we investigate the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) arrays selectively inscribed in a multicore fiber for a different sensor and laser applications. Particularly, wavelength-switchable and tunable fiber laser was realized based on uniform and non-uniform FBGs precisely positioned in the selected cores. A quasi-distributed 3D shape sensor based on FBG array inscribed in a multicore fiber with helically twisted side cores was fabricated and applied for shape reconstruction of papillotome.

An all-fiber 4-core Yb-doped laser with a cavity formed by fiber Bragg gratings directly inscribed in each core with femtosecond laser pulses and 4% Fresnel reflection from the output fiber end face is demonstrated. It has been shown that the diameter of the active fiber winding significantly affects the power distribution between the cores, since it affects both the pump power distribution and the cross-coupling between the cores. In particular, with an active fiber winding diameter of 21 cm, the cores behave independently, and the power is distributed almost evenly over all cores. With a winding diameter of 6.5 cm, the lasing is achieved almost exclusively from one core, and a mechanism of that radiation concentration based on bending induced stress in an active multicore fiber is proposed which explains the experimental data. By analyzing the optical and radio-frequency spectra of the output laser radiation, additional details of the 4-core fiber lasing are revealed. In particular, a narrowband (several longitudinal modes) lasing with periodic linear sweeping of central wavelength in time is observed and characterized in the multicore fiber laser, for the first time to our knowledge. It is shown that crosstalk of longitudinal modes arising from different cores is greatly enhanced in the case of a strongly bent fiber.

We develop a comprehensive theory for describing the experimental beam profiles from multimode fiber Raman lasers. We take into account the presence of random linear mode coupling, Kerr beam self-cleaning and intra-cavity spatial filtering. All of these factors play a decisive role in shaping the Stokes beam, which has a predominant fundamental mode content. Although the highly multimode pump beam is strongly depleted, it remains almost insensitive to the different physical effects. As a result, the intensity of the output Stokes beam is an order of magnitude higher than the pump intensity at its maximum, in quantitative agreement with the experimental results and in contrast with the simplified balance model.

We report on a pulsed regime of Raman laser with all-fiber cavity scheme based on a multimode graded-index fiber directly pumped by a CW multimode laser diode. The cavity was performed with 3.7 km 62.5/125 MM graded-index fiber with two FBGs on the both sides of it. Intra-cavity acousto-optic modulator pigtailed with 10/125 fiber allowed to obtain mode locking regime. At 27.19-kHz repetition rate corresponding to the laser cavity round-trip frequency (corresponding to mode-locking regime), stable nanosecond pulses with 6.3 W peak power have been observed at the 1st (1018 nm) Stokes order. The beam quality of generated pulses is greatly improved as compared to that for pump diode (M2

Recently, highly regular thermochemical laser-induced periodic surface structures (TLIPSS) have become the subject of active studies. TLIPSS are formed in the interference maxima due to the local oxidation of the material irradiated with ultrashort laser pulses and are characterized by the elevation of the relief that forms parallel oxide protrusions. The gas surrounding is expected to affect the morphology and chemical composition of the resulting TLIPSS; however, such effects were rarely studied so far. Here we present the results of the TLIPSS fabrication on glass-supported Si-Ti bilayer films using an astigmatic Gaussian IR femtosecond beam both in air and a nitrogen-rich atmosphere. The formation of ordered TLIPSS with the period of ≈ 920 nm is observed at slow scanning speeds (∼1 μm/s) and low fluences in a nitrogen-rich atmosphere. Raman spectroscopy revealed the presence of TiO2 (rutile) peaks, as well as bands centered at 280 cm-1 and 320 cm-1, which can be related to TiN in amorphous and polycrystalline phase.

Multimode fibres provide a promising platform for boosting the capacity of fibre links and the output power of fibre lasers. The complex spatiotemporal dynamics of multimode beams may be controlled in spatial and temporal domains via the interplay of nonlinear, dispersive and dissipative effects. Raman nonlinearity induces beam cleanup in long graded-index fibres within a laser cavity, even for CW Stokes beams pumped by highly-multimode laser diodes (LDs). This leads to a breakthrough approach for wavelength-agile high-power lasers. However, current understanding of Raman beam cleanup is restricted to a small-signal gain regime, being not applicable to describing realistic laser operation. We solved this challenge by experimentally and theoretically studying pump-to-Stokes beam conversion in a graded-index fibre cavity. We show that random mode coupling, intracavity filtering and Kerr self-cleaning all play a decisive role for the spatio-spectral control of CW Stokes beams. Whereas the depleted LD pump radiation remains insensitive to them.

We have studied the harmonic generation regimes in a pulsed SRS laser with synchronous pumping. The use of phosphosilicate polarisation-maintaining fibre made it possible to obtain stable generation of Raman dissipative solitons (RDS’s) with a wavelength of 1.3 μm, and a fold increase in the length of the external cavity relative to that of the pump laser cavity by a dispersion-shifted fibre allowed us to raise the threshold for the transition to noise-like pulses and to increase the RDS energy up to 2.5 nJ with an estimated duration of a transform-limited pulse of about 200 fs.

The power scaling on all-fiberized Raman fiber oscillator with brightness enhancement (BE) based on multimode graded-index (GRIN) fiber is demonstrated. Thanks to beam cleanup of GRIN fiber itself and single-mode selection properties of the fiber Bragg gratings inscribed in the center of GRIN fiber, the efficient BE is realized. For the laser cavity with single OC FBG, continuous-wave power of 334 W with an M2 value of 2.8 and BE value of 5.6 were obtained at a wavelength of 1120 nm with an optical-to-optical efficiency of 49.6%. Furthermore, the cavity reflectivity is increased by employing two OC FBGs to scale the output power up to 443 W, while the corresponding M2 is 3.5 with BE of 4.2. To our best knowledge, it is the highest power in Raman oscillator based on GRIN fiber.

Irradiation of a metallic film with ultrashort high-energy laser pulses in a visible and near-infrared wavelength range leads to the formation of so-called laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) due to non-linear light absorption. These structures represent arrays of parallel protrusions or valleys on the surface of the material and the mechanism of their formation is an actively discussed topic [1] , [2] . Large areas of the material surface can be covered with LIPSS by scanning a sample with a laser beam. Morphology of LIPSS (period, orientation, modulation depth, uniformity, etc.), as well as their chemical composition, depends on the properties of the chosen material, film thickness, and irradiation parameters. Metals with relatively low surface plasmon mean free path [3] and high oxidation rate [4] support the formation of highly ordered LIPSS at high scanning speeds, and metals of the titanium subgroup (Zr, Hf) are especially interesting in this regard.

Distributed stress and temperature measurements along the active fiber of operating laser is a new dimension of laser systems analysis. Thermal loading of the active fiber can lead to the switching of the laser operation mode [1] , gain spectrum changing, and modes instability appearance. To realize distributed temperature measurements one can use external thermal camera (thermograph) or optical backscatter reflectometer. The first one measures the temperature of the fiber surface, and the second one measures temperature directly in the fiber core. By using optical backscatter reflectometry spatial resolutions down to ~10 microns and temperature resolution of ~0.1 °C are achieved [2] , which allows high-performance analysis of fiber-optic schemes. In [3] distributed temperature measurement in the active medium of a high-power ytterbium-doped fiber laser is demonstrated using this approach. On the other hand, a similar or greater temperature difference can be measured in fibers doped with active ions and pumped with a large quantum defect. Holmium (Ho 3+ ) can become the most attractive ion because it can be pumped at 1.125–1.15 µm, while emitting wavelength is around 2 µm. In this work, we study the temperature distribution in Ho-doped DBR fiber lasers pumped at a wavelength of 1.125 µm. We use LUNA OBR 4600 reflectometer with down to 1 mm spatial resolution [2] and the IR-thermograph IRTIS-2000 ME to measure temperature distribution along a fiber specimen.

We report on the demonstration and characterization of Raman laser generating at the wavelength of ~1090 nm with total output power of up to 5 W based on the 7-core passive fiber with coupled cores. The Raman gain in all cores is provided by the pump laser connected to the FBG-free central core, whereas the laser cavity is formed by two sets of highly-reflective fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) inscribed by fs pulses in all peripherical cores at the both ends of the 7-core fiber. The output FBG set has got a random shift along the axis between individual FBGs thus forming a random array of FBGs. Along with the Stokes line narrowing reasoned by the reduction of spectral broadening via nonlinear effects due to the enlargement of effective mode area in the multicore fiber with coupled cores in comparison with a standard singlemode fiber Raman laser, the additional line narrowing effect induced by the multicore random FBG array has been also revealed. It results in the generation of single peak of

As shown recently, highly multimode (M2~30) radiation of laser diodes may be converted in graded-index fibers into high-quality (M2≤2) Raman beam at Stokes-shifted wavelength. Here we experimentally study output beam profiles for the transmitted pump and generated Stokes beams and develop an analytical balance model enabling theoretical beam profiles both near the Raman threshold and well above the threshold where significant depletion of the pump beam occurs due to the Raman conversion. Comparison of the theory and experiment allows for the identification of main mechanisms of the Raman beam clean up in this system, including linear and nonlinear effects.

Fiber-optic shape sensors based on 7-core optical fibers with twisted and straight cores were integrated into a flexible medical papillotome and the accuracy of shape reconstruction was analyzed for different fiber Bragg gratings spacing.

Graded-index multimode optical fibers have recently attracted a renewed attention, thanks to the discovery of new nonlinear effects, such as Kerr beam self-cleaning. In essence, Kerr self-cleaning involves a flow of the propagating beam energy into the fundamental mode of the fiber, accompanied by a redistribution of the remaining energy among high-order modes. Increasing the fundamental mode energy leads to a significant improvement of the output beam quality. A standard method to determine beam quality is to measure the M2 parameter. However, since self-cleaning involves the nonlinear redistribution of energy among a large number of fiber modes, measuring a single beam quality parameter is not sufficient to characterize the effect. A properly informative approach requires performing the mode decomposition of the output beam. Mode decomposition permits to evaluate the energy distribution among all of the excited fiber modes, which enables investigations of nonlinear mode coupling processes at a qualitatively new level. In this work, we demonstrate an efficiency mode decomposition method based on holography, which is suitable for analyzing the self-cleaning effect. In a theoretical study, we describe the solution of the mode decomposition problem for the modes of the gradedindex multimode fiber. In an experimental investigation, we demonstrate the decomposition of both low-power (speckled) and self-cleaned beams, involving more than 80 modes.

We review our recent results on fiber lasers with distributed feedback based on π-shifted or random fiber Bragg gratings, and random index structures inscribed by femtosecond pulses in singlemode or multicore/multimode fibers.

All-fiber Raman lasers have demonstrated their potential for the efficient conversion of highly multimode pump beams into a high-quality Stokes beams. However, the modal content of these beams has not been investigated yet. Here we apply, for the first time, a mode decomposition technique for revealing intermodal interactions in different operational regimes of CW multimode Raman lasers. Our approach allows for analyzing the output laser radiation in terms of the amplitude and phase distributions of a huge number of excited modes for both the pump and the Stokes beams, which enables a new insight into nonlinear mode coupling processes. The measured contribution of the first three modes of the residual pump beam after overcoming the SRS threshold decreased on average by 25%, whereas the signal beam mainly consists of fundamental mode (40%) and the modes of the first group (20%).

A novel ultrahigh-resolution x-ray microscope achieves 8-nm spatial resolution and accurately maps chemistry in nanomaterials., The analysis of chemical states and morphology in nanomaterials is central to many areas of science. We address this need with an ultrahigh-resolution scanning transmission soft x-ray microscope. Our instrument provides multiple analysis tools in a compact assembly and can achieve few-nanometer spatial resolution and high chemical sensitivity via x-ray ptychography and conventional scanning microscopy. A novel scanning mechanism, coupled to advanced x-ray detectors, a high-brightness x-ray source, and high-performance computing for analysis provide a revolutionary step forward in terms of imaging speed and resolution. We present x-ray microscopy with 8-nm full-period spatial resolution and use this capability in conjunction with operando sample environments and cryogenic imaging, which are now routinely available. Our multimodal approach will find wide use across many fields of science and facilitate correlative analysis of materials with other types of probes.

Specially designed composite heavily Er3+-doped fiber in combination with unique point-by-point inscription technology by femtosecond pulses at 1,026 nm enables formation of distributed-feedback (DFB) laser with ultra-short cavity length of 5.3 mm whose parameters are comparable and even better than those for conventional Er3+-doped fiber DFB lasers having much longer cavity. The composite fiber was fabricated by melting rare-earth doped phosphate glass in silica tube. The ultra-short DFB laser generates single-polarization single-frequency radiation at 1,550 nm with narrow linewidth (3.5 kHz) and 0.5 mW output power at 600 mW 980-nm pumping. The same fiber with conventional CW UV (244 nm) inscription technology using phase mask enables fabrication of 40-mm long DFB laser with > 18 mW output power at 3.3% pump conversion, which is a record efficiency for Er3+-doped fiber DFB lasers. The developed technologies form an advanced platform for Er3+-doped fiber DFB lasers operating around 1.55 µm with excellent output characteristics and unique practical features, in particular, the ultra-short DFB lasers are attractive for sensing applications.

Recently, a technique for calibrating the modulation transfer function (MTF) of a broad variety of metrology instrumentation has been demonstrated. This technique is based on test samples structured as one-dimensional binary pseudo-random (BPR) sequences and two-dimensional BPR arrays (BPRAs). The inherent power spectral density of BPR gratings (sequences) and arrays has a deterministic white-noise-like character that allows direct determination of the MTF with uniform sensitivity over the entire spatial frequency range and field-of-view of an instrument. As such, the BPR samples satisfy the characteristics of a test standard: functionality, ease of specification and fabrication, reproducibility, and low sensitivity to manufacturing error. Here we discuss our recent developments directed to the optimization of the sample design, fabrication, application, and data processing procedures, suitable for thorough characterization of large aperture optical interferometers. Compared with the previous coded-aperture based design, the improved, ‘highly randomized’ BPRA pattern of the new test standard provides better accuracy and reliability of instrument MTF and aberration characterization, and enables operation optimization of large aperture optical interferometers. We describe the pattern generation algorithm and tests to verify the compliance to desired BPRA topography. The data acquisition and analysis procedures for different applications of the technique are also discussed.

We present experimental, analytical, and numerical methods developed for reconstruction (deconvolution) of one-dimensional (1D) surface slope profiles over the spatial frequency range where the raw data are significantly perturbed due to the limited resolution of the measurement instrument. We characterize the spatial resolution properties of a profiler with the instrument's transfer function (ITF). To precisely measure the ITF, we apply a recently developed method utilizing test surfaces with 1D linear chirped height profiles of constant slope amplitude. Based on the results of the ITF calibration, we determine parameters of an analytical model for the ITF that is used in the original reconstruction software. Here, we treat surface slope metrology data obtained with the Optical Surface Measuring System (OSMS), using as a sensor an electronic autocollimator (AC) ELCOMAT-3000. The spatial resolution of the OSMS is limited by the size of the AC light-beam-collimating aperture. For the purposes of this investigation, the OSMS is equipped with a circular aperture with a diameter of 2.5 mm. This is a typical arrangement of most AC-based slope profilers developed for surface slope metrology of state-of-the-art x-ray mirrors. Using the example of surface slope metrology of two state-of-the-art elliptically shaped x-ray focusing mirrors, we demonstrate that the developed data reconstruction procedure allows us to significantly improve the accuracy of surface slope metrology with the OSMS over the spatial wavelength range from ∼1.6 mm to 7 mm. Thus, the amplitude of the quasi-periodic error characteristic of the deterministic polishing process used appears to be higher by a factor of ∼2 than is apparent from the rough metrology data. Underestimation of the surface slope errors in this spatial wavelength range can lead to serious errors in the expected performance of x-ray mirrors in synchrotron beamlines, especially at modern light sources utilizing coherent x rays, where the perturbations can lead to increased speckle-like intensity variation.