A systems approach for designing compact low-cost high-power fiber amplifiers

Fiber lasers create unique opportunities for creating high energy lasers. The distributed gain and heat deposition, and the flexible resonator provide the means for scaling to high powers. In addition and perhaps more valuable is the idea that fiber lasers allow the creation of an extensible architecture: an architecture where the individual components can be researched, designed, improved and replaced independently. In order to create sources at power levels over 3kW in volumes less than .01m3/kW, weighing less than 2kg/kW at costs under $1 per Watt of fiber laser output, serious consideration first needs to be given to the underlying architecture of choice. In this presentation, several architectural constraints along with competing approaches will be presented. Preliminary results from high brightness fiber coupling, and fiber combiner designs and experiments will be presented.