Efficient delivery of sub-ps laser pulses with pulse energies exceeding 100 µJ at average powers of up to 95 W through a hollow-core fiber

Abstract We report on the efficient delivery of sub-picosecond laser pulses with high peak and high average powers through a home-made 7.5 m long tubular inhibited-coupling guiding hollow-core photonic-crystal fiber (IC-HCPCF). The experiments were performed using an ultrafast laser generating pulses with durations between 430 fs and 560 fs at a central wavelength of 1030 nm. Pulses with an energy of either 263 µJ or 150 µJ were coupled into the fiber at average powers of either 48 W or 95 W, respectively. In both cases, the transmittance through the fiber was measured to exceed 85% without detectable distortion of the temporal pulse shapes or damage to the fiber.