Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080225384 | Laser amplifier power extraction enhancement system and method - A high extraction efficiency laser system. The novel laser system includes a laser amplifier and a laser source adapted to provide a laser beam to the amplifier such that polarization states for incident and reflected light within the amplifier are perpendicular one to another. In an illustrative embodiment, the laser beam is input to the amplifier such that the beam reflects back and forth between the side walls of the amplifier with an angle of incidence of about 45 degrees, and the laser beam is linearly polarized in the plane of incidence. This arrangement reduces interference fringes in the amplifier. In an alternative embodiment, the system includes an aberrator adapted to add time-varying aberrations in the laser beam at a rate exceeding an inversed lifetime of an inverted population in the amplifier to increase spatial homogenization of saturation and extraction patterns in the amplifier. | 09-18-2008 |
20090041061 | Method and apparatus for generation and amplification of light in a semi-guiding high aspect ratio core fiber - A planar laser gain medium and laser system. The novel laser gain medium includes an active core having a high aspect ratio cross-section with a fast-axis dimension and a slow-axis dimension, signal claddings adapted to form reflective boundaries at fast-axis boundaries of the core, and a material adapted to minimize reflections at slow-axis boundaries of the core. In an illustrative embodiment, the laser gain medium is an optical fiber. The core and claddings form a waveguide adapted to control modes propagating in the fast-axis direction. When the laser gain medium is employed as a laser oscillator, a high reflectivity mirror and an outcoupler are positioned at opposite ends of the core to form a laser resonator adapted to control modes in the slow-axis direction. | 02-12-2009 |
20100183260 | MONOLITHIC PUMP COUPLER FOR HIGH-ASPECT RATIO SOLID-STATE GAIN MEDIA - In one or more embodiments, an optical fiber coupler for coupling pump radiation into a rectangular optical fiber includes a fiber section and a pump fiber. The fiber section includes a core having a high aspect ratio cross-section and an interface section. The core is positioned in contact with first and second signal claddings to form reflective boundaries at fast-axis boundaries of the core. The pump fiber is side coupled to the fiber section via the interface section, and configured to couple the pump radiation into the fiber section. | 07-22-2010 |
20100189137 | OPTICAL DEVICE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING A REFRACTIVE INDEX PROFILE IN THE OPTICAL DEVICE - An optical device includes an optical material comprising active dopant ions and absorber dopant ions spaced apart from the active dopant ions. The active dopant ions are provided to absorb a first radiation and convert a portion of the first radiation into sensible heat. A concentration profile of the absorber dopant ions is selected to absorb a second radiation different from the first radiation and optionally the first radiation in at least one direction of the optical material so as to control a refractive index profile in the at least one direction of the optical material. In another embodiment, a method of controlling a refractive index profile in an optical material includes exciting active dopant ions in the optical material with a first radiation, the active dopant ions converting at least a portion of the first radiation into sensible heat; and exciting absorber dopant ions in the optical material with a second radiation to control a refractive index profile in at least one direction of the optical material. | 07-29-2010 |
20100189392 | MONOLITHIC SIGNAL COUPLER FOR HIGH-ASPECT RATIO SOLID-STATE GAIN MEDIA - A coupler and method of coupling a signal beam between from a circular-core fiber to a rectangular-core cross section fiber includes providing an optical coupler having an optical core with a high-aspect ratio cross section at one end and a circular cross section at an opposite end to receive a signal beam having a circular cross section. The signal beam is propagated from the circular fiber to the rectangular-core cross section fiber in a narrow, fast-axis direction while maintaining the size and divergence of the signal beam as it propagates. The signal beam is expanded in size while producing a collimated beam from the circular cross section end to the rectangular-core cross section end in a wide, slow-axis direction. | 07-29-2010 |
20100189401 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MODE CONTROL IN A SEMI-GUIDING AMPLIFIER MEDIUM - In various embodiments, a semi-guiding optical fiber includes a core having a first refractive index and a high aspect ratio elongated cross-section along a slow axis direction. First and second signal claddings having a second refractive index sandwich the core. A third cladding having a third refractive index substantially surrounds at least side edges of the core. The first refractive index of the core, the third refractive index of the third cladding, and/or the second refractive index of the first and second signal claddings, are selected so as to maximize a differential loss between a lowest order mode propagating in the optical fiber and next order modes so as to discriminate in favor of the lowest order mode and against the next order modes. In another embodiment, a method for mode control in a semi-guiding medium includes controlling either the first refractive index of the core, the second refractive index of the first and second signal claddings, and/or the third refractive index of the third cladding, to maximize a differential loss between a lowest order mode propagating in the optical fiber and next order modes so as to discriminate in favor of the lowest order mode and against the next order modes. | 07-29-2010 |
20110007384 | LASER AMPLIFIED POWER EXTRACTION ENHANCEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD - A high extraction efficiency laser system. The novel laser system includes a laser amplifier and a laser source adapted to provide a laser beam to the amplifier such that polarization states for incident and reflected light within the amplifier are perpendicular one to another. In an illustrative embodiment, the laser beam is input to the amplifier such that the beam reflects back and forth between the side walls of the amplifier with an angle of incidence of about 45 degrees, and the laser beam is linearly polarized in the plane of incidence. This arrangement reduces interference fringes in the amplifier. In an alternative embodiment, the system includes an aberrator adapted to add time-varying aberrations in the laser beam at a rate exceeding an inversed lifetime of an inverted population in the amplifier to increase spatial homogenization of saturation and extraction patterns in the amplifier. | 01-13-2011 |
20130011109 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MODE CONTROL IN A SEMI-GUIDING AMPLIFIER MEDIUM - In various examples, a semi-guiding optical fiber includes a core having a high aspect ratio including first and second wide surface interfaces, and first and second narrow edge interfaces. The core has a slow axis parallel to the first and second wide surface interfaces, and a refractive index. The fiber also includes first and second signal claddings positioned in contact with the first and second wide surfaces of the core, respectively. The first and second signal claddings have a spatial refractive index profile having: i) a minimum value at a longitudinal axis of the core, ii) a maximum value substantially equal to the refractive index of the core at the first and second narrow edge interfaces of the core, and iii) intermediate values gradually increasing from the minimum value to the maximum value as distance from the longitudinal axis increases along the slow axis of the fiber. | 01-10-2013 |