High efficiency all-fiber cylindrical vector beam laser using a long-period fiber grating

We demonstrate a novel all-fiber laser generating cylindrical vector beams with high slope efficiency and low threshold by introducing a long-period fiber grating into the laser cavity. Highly efficient mode conversion is realized by an LPFG at -1548 nm. Mode selection and spectrum filtering are achieved in combination with a two-mode fiber Bragg grating (TM-FBG). The fiber laser operates at a single wavelength of 1547.95 nm with a 30 dB linewidth of less than 0.18 nm and a side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) of more than 56 dB. The lasing threshold and slope efficiency of the laser are 24.5 mW and 35.41%, respectively. The output power is 72 mW with an absorbed pump power of 225 mW. The variation of slope efficiency with respect to the reflectivity of the TM-FBG is investigated. Through adjusting the intra-cavity polarization controller, high-purity radially and azimuthally polarized beams are both obtained.