Efficient Anti-Resonant Hollow-Core Fiber-Based Pulse Compressor for High-Energy Ytterbium Fiber Laser

Pulse compressors are critical components of high-energy ultrafast fiber laser systems. Bulk optical elements like diffraction gratings and chirped mirrors are commonly used to de-chirp and compress output pulses from ultrafast fiber lasers. However, these free-space optics require precise alignment, occupy significant space, and introduce undesired power loss due to their multi-pass configuration. Direct pulse compression through optical fiber provides significant advantages, including all-fiber architecture, compactness, and flexible pulse delivery. However, traditional solid-core fibers face challenges in compressing high-energy pulses due to strong nonlinearity. In contrast, hollow-core fibers (HCFs), which guide light through air rather than glass, significantly reduce nonlinearity, enabling efficient pulse compression and ultrashort pulse delivery. Moreover, HCFs can be designed to provide anomalous dispersions at 1 μm, making them ideal for compressing positively chirped pulses from ytterbium (Yb) fiber lasers.