4.8-µm CO-filled hollow-core silica fiber light source

Mid-infrared (MIR) fiber lasers are important for a wide range of applications in sensing, spectroscopy, imaging, defense, and security. Some progress has been made in the research of MIR fiber lasers based on soft glass fibers, however, the emission range of rare-earth ions and the robustness of the host materials are still a major challenge for MIR fiber lasers. The large number of gases provide a variety of optical transitions in the MIR band. When combined with recent advances in low-loss hollow-core fiber (HCF), there is a great opportunity for gas-filled fiber lasers to further extend the radiation to the MIR region. Here, a 4.8-µm CO-filled silica-based HCF laser is reported for the first time. This is enabled by an in-house manufactured broadband low-loss HCF with a measured loss of 1.81 dB/m at 4.8 µm. A maximum MIR output power of 46 mW and a tuning range of 180 nm (from 4644 to 4824 nm) are obtained by using an advanced 2.33-µm narrow-linewidth fiber laser. This demonstration represents the longest-wavelength silica-based fiber laser to date, while the absorption loss of bulk silica at 4824 nm is up to 13,000 dB/m. Further wavelength expansion could be achieved by changing the pump absorption line and optimizing the laser structure.