Processing and Characterization of Polycrystalline YAG (Yttrium Aluminum Garnet) Core-Clad Fibers

YAG-based fiber lasers could offer efficient operation at power levels beyond those achievable in current state-of-the-art silica-based fiber lasers if losses can be minimized. To address this, researchers have investigated creating both single-crystal and polycrystalline YAG fibers. Among the cases reported is the preparation of single-crystal YAG fibers using laser heated pedestal growth (LHPG), which resulted in fiber diameters of 400 μm and optical losses around 1–2 dB/m in the 1–3 μm wavelength range. Single-crystal YAG fibers with diameters of ~ 30 μm have even been reported.