SBIR Phase I: Coilable Single Crystal Fibers of Doped YAG for High Power Laser Applications

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将展示生长高质量掺杂钇铝石榴石（YAG）的可卷曲单晶光纤的技术可行性，以提高高功率光纤激光器的性能。单晶光纤是介于激光晶体和掺杂玻璃纤维之间的一种中间体。它们可以结合两者的优点，通过引导激光和匹配在块状晶体中发现的效率，使它们成为高功率激光和光纤激光应用的理想候选者。技术上的挑战是合成一种以掺杂剂（Er, Nd， Yb等）为核心的包层柔性光纤，使其具有良好的波导性能。为了实现这一目标，第一阶段的技术目标将围绕执行各种类型的实验来从各种原料中生长包覆的YAG，然后是每个生长晶体的表征，最后是包覆Nd:YAG中的激光效应的演示。该项目的成功完成将最终展示长度为200毫米的柔性掺杂YAG纤维，掺杂芯直径为20微米。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是工业应用中光纤激光器性能的改进。2011年，全球激光器市场规模为75亿美元。主要受这种材料创新影响的技术领域是材料加工、医疗、科学/军事和仪器/传感器。材料加工激光器的市场为28亿美元，其他列出的领域为12亿美元。这项工作将使激光制造商能够将更高功率、更高效的激光器商业化。晶体光纤激光器的市场份额预计将增长到至少10%，因为它们的性能能力。在最保守的情况下，晶体光纤组件的成本估计为激光器销售价格的2%；因此，晶体纤维本身的总潜在市场将达到200万美元。通过增加相关的增益模块和子系统，该产品线的潜在收入增加到超过1000万美元。利用晶体光纤激光器的独特性能实现新的应用，将有可能进一步增长。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will demonstrate the technical feasibility of the growth of coilable single-crystal fibers of doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) of sufficient quality to improve the performance of high-power fiber lasers. Single crystal fibers are an intermediate between laser crystals and doped glass fibers. They can combine the advantages of both by guiding laser light and matching the efficiencies found in bulk crystals, making them ideal candidates for high-power laser and fiber laser applications. The technical challenge is to synthesize a cladded flexible fiber with a core of dopant (Er, Nd, Yb, etc.) that will exhibit good waveguiding properties. To achieve this, the Phase I technical objectives will be centered around the execution of various types of experiments to grow cladded YAG out of various feedstocks, followed by the characterization of each grown crystal and finally, the demonstration of lasing effects in cladded Nd:YAG. Successful completion of this project will culminate in the demonstration of flexible doped YAG fibers 200 mm in length, with doped cores 20 microns in diameter. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is an improvement in the performance of fiber lasers for industrial applications. The worldwide market for lasers in 2011 was $7.5 billion. Technology areas which will be primarily impacted by this material innovation are material processing, medical, scientific/military, and instrumentation/sensors. The market for material processing lasers is $2.8 billion, and $1.2 billion for the other listed areas. The proposed work would enable laser manufacturers to commercialize higher-power, more efficient lasers. The market share of crystal fiber lasers is expected to grow to at least 10%, because of their performance capabilities. In the most conservative scenario, the cost of a crystal fiber component is estimated to be 2% of the selling price of the laser; therefore, the total addressable market for the crystal fibers themselves will be $2 million. By adding in associated gain modules and subsystems, the revenue potential of this product line increases to over $10 million. Further growth will be possible by enabling new applications with the unique properties of crystal fiber lasers.