Broadband Tm-doped superfluorescent fiber source with 11 W single-ended output power

High-power operation of a cladding-pumped Tm-doped broadband superfluorescent fiber source in the two-micron wavelength regime is described. Predominately single-ended operation was achieved using a simple all-fiber geometry without the use of a high reflectivity mirror or fiber Bragg gratings. The source produced >11 W of single-ended amplified spontaneous emission output spanning the wavelength range from similar to 1930 nm to 1988 nm for a launched diode pump power of similar to 40 W at similar to 790 nm, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 38% with respect to launched pump power. The wavelength spectrum of the superfluorescent source spanned the range from similar to 1650 to 2100 nm with a bandwidth ( FWHM) of > 100 nm for output power levels of < 20 mW. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America.