Grant: Strategic Projects - Group

Over the last 20 years there has been a steady trend toward more compact lasers made entirely out of silica glass fiber. Fiber lasers are desirable as they offer a compact design, increased ease of operation and high reliability. As research in this field has progressed in earnest over the last decade output power from fiber lasers has increased by as much as 3000 times. Many of the components (mirrors, crystals etc.) that used to be part of a laser can now be created using silica fiber. One component found in traditional lasers that has not been duplicated with glass fiber yet is a frequency doubling crystal. This crystal is commonly used to create visible radiation from lasers that have wavelengths outside the visible spectrum. Some studies in glass fibers have demonstrated that it is possible to duplicate this effect in silica glass but the magnitude has always been very small. Recently, while working on layered glass structures, we observed a large increase in the frequency doubling. This strategic project grant is aimed at capitalizing on this promising discovery to develop a frequency doubling fiber capable of replacing the crystal, and propelling Canadian industry one step closer to a complete all-fiber laser.