2020, Leich, Martin, Kalide, André, Eschrich, Tina, Lorenz, Adrian, Lorenz, Martin, Wondraczek, Katrin, Schönfeld, Dörte, Langner, Andreas, Schötz, Gerhard, Jäger, Matthias

We report on the first, to the best of our knowledge, implementation of a fluorine co-doped large-mode-area REPUSIL fiber for high peak power amplification in an ultrashort-pulse master oscillator power amplifier. The core material of the investigated step-index fiber with high Yb-doping level, 52 µm core and high core-to-clad ratio of 1:4.2 was fabricated by means of the REPUSIL powder-sinter technology. The core numerical aperture was adjusted by fluorine codoping to 0.088. For achieving high beam quality and for ensuring a monolithic seed path, the LMA fiber is locally tapered. We demonstrate an Yb fiber amplifier with near-diffraction-limited beam quality of M2 = 1.3, which remains constant up to a peak power of 2 MW. This is a record for a tapered single core fiber. © 2020 Optical Society of America