中红外波段光纤激光光源在基础科学研究、光通信、生物医疗、环境监测以及**安全领域有着重要应用。超连续谱(SC)激光光源和稀土离子掺杂光纤激光器是目前研究得较多的两类中红外波段激光光源。面向该类光源的应用需求,笔者研究组经过大量实验探索,筛选出一种具有较高稳定性和较高损伤阈值的氟碲酸盐玻璃光纤,并利用其作为非线性介质研制出了光谱范围覆盖0.6~5.4 μm宽带的SC激光光源和平均功率约为20 W、光谱范围覆盖1~4 μm的SC激光光源;制备出具有较强抗潮解能力的Ho ³⁺离子掺杂AlF₃基玻璃光纤,并利用其作为增益介质,获得了波长约为2868 nm的激光输出;研制出具有较低声子能量的Ho ³⁺离子掺杂InF₃基玻璃光纤,并利用其作为增益介质,获得了波长约为2875 nm的激光输出。总结了氟碲酸盐玻璃光纤、AlF₃基玻璃光纤和InF₃基玻璃光纤的特点及相应激光器的研究进展。

Mid-infrared fiber lasers have important applications in fundamental researches, optical communications, biomedicine, environmental monitoring, and national defense security. Currently, researchers are mainly focused on two main mid-infrared fiber lasers, including supercontinuum (SC) lasers and rare-earth-ions-doped fiber lasers. For the application requirements, the authors developed a fluorotellurite glass fiber with relatively good stability and high damage threshold. By using the fluorotellurite glass fibers as the nonlinear media, broadband SC laser source from 0.6 to 5.4 μm was obtained in the experiments. Moreover, SC light source with an average power of about 20 W was also obtained, and the spectral range covered 1-4 μm wavelength. The authors fabricated Ho 3+-doped AlF3 based glass fibers with relatively good water resistance. By using the Ho 3+-doped AlF3 based glass fibers as gain media, the authors obtained about 2868 nm lasers. The authors also fabricated Ho 3+-doped InF3 based glass fibers with relatively low phonon energies. By using the Ho 3+-doped InF3 based glass fibers as gain media, the authors obtained about 2875 nm lasers. This paper mainly focuses on introducing the current progress on mid-infrared glass fibers, including the material characteristics of fluorotellurite glass fibers, AlF3 based glass fibers, InF3 based glass fibers, and relative lasers.