GREEN, HOLMIUM-DOPED UP-CONVERSION FIBER LASER-PUMPED BY RED SEMICONDUCTOR-LASER

Pumping of a green (lambda similar or equal to 549nm) Ho-doped fluoroz irconate glass fibre laser with a high power (similar to 30mW) singlem ode red diode laser is demonstrated. CW output powers exceeding 1.2mW have been generated From a 22cm long Ho:ZBLAN fiber for similar to 24m W of incident pump power (10.5mW launched) at 643nm and a cavity outpu t coupling of 24%. The threshold pump power, 3.5mW launched (2.1mW abs orbed), is the lowest reported for any upconversion fibre laser. The m aximum slope and optical conversion efficiencies measured to date are 18.5 and 12%, respectively, with respect to launched pump power. These results represent the first demonstration of a fibre laser driven by a red semiconductor diode laser.