Mid-Infrared Raman Fiber Lasers

As mid-infrared (MIR) lasers show numerous applications in the field of defense, medical, materials processing, and optical communications. Investigation on MIR Raman fiber lasers (RFLs) increasingly becomes a hot topic. Compared with the traditional silica fibers, fluoride and chalcogenide glass fibers possess higher nonlinear coefficients and excellent MIR transmittances. In this article, the latest developments of the MIR RFLs using fluoride and chalcogenide glass fibers as gain media are introduced, respectively. This review article mainly focuses on the developments of MIR RFLs in aspects of output wavelength, output power, and optical efficiency. Besides, the prospect of MIR RFLs is also discussed.