Coherent light generators – Optical fiber laser
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-19
2001-09-11
Arroyo, Teresa M. (Department: 2881)
Coherent light generators
Optical fiber laser
C359S341430
Reexamination Certificate
active
06289027
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to fiber optic ring and linear cavity lasers formed using optical amplifiers, which employ stimulated emission or optical parametric amplification, in compound waveguide configurations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is intended to provide a laser source for any wavelength, and of the type already known using erbium-doped fibers at 1550 nm.
Current in-line fiber optic amplifiers operate in the 1300 nm telecommunications window utilizing Neodymium (Nd)-doped gain media (both glasses and YAG). These devices provide single-pass gain to compensate for propagation losses incurred in optical fibers. A laser is the extension of single-pass amplification to multiple-pass oscillation by the addition of a cavity. In most conventional laser systems, the cavity is created using two or more mirrors. While a plethora of lasers have been developed using mirror cavities, extending these systems to fibers requires the use of costly and delicate fiber-coupling systems.
Some fiber laser systems have been developed in which a section of ion-doped fiber is spliced into a fiber ring, which acts as the cavity. Unfortunately, only a handful of doped glasses have been developed which can be fashioned into optical fibers, which provide only very sparse coverage of the entire optical spectrum.
What is required, are improved laser systems employing advanced optical amplification technology.
The present invention provides a compound waveguide architecture and associated amplification techniques to address this need, in both ring and linear cavity laser system configurations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention, in one aspect, is a laser system including a fiber optic amplifier arranged with respect to an interior portion of a fiber optic having a side surface through which optical energy can be transferred to or from the fiber optic. The fiber optic amplifier includes a channel overlay waveguide formed over the surface for amplifying the optical energy therein for transfer to an optical signal propagating in the fiber optic. The fiber optic is arranged into a cavity, an output of which comprises laser energy generated within the cavity using the amplified optical signal propagating in the fiber optic. The cavity may be ring or linear, and the system may include various intracavity elements for, e.g., wavelength selection, optical isolation and modulation of the optical signal propagating in the fiber optic.
Two alternative amplification technologies are disclosed, including stimulated emission which uses channel overlay waveguides exhibiting optical fluorescence. Optical parametric amplification can also be used, in which case the channel overlay waveguide exhibits a non-linear response of second order. Associated methods of producing laser energy, as well as methods for fabrication of a laser system are also disclosed.
In summary, disclosed herein are fiber optic laser systems employing alternate embodiments of an in-line, non-invasive fiber optic amplifier. The lasers of the present invention employ these fiber optic amplifiers in either fiber ring or linear cavity configurations. The flexibility of the non-invasive fiber optic amplifier technology allows these laser systems to be designed and constructed for both narrowband and broadband operation. As such, either the amplifier itself, or a separate component, can act as the wavelength determining element in the cavity. These lasers provide a stable, fiber coupled source that can be used with nearly any gain material to produce fiber coupled laser energy at an enormous variety of wavelengths. Such wide wavelength coverage will benefit medical imaging, communications, remote sensing, and other scientific research.
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Lawrence Brian L.
McCallion Kevin J.
Wagoner Gregory A.
Arroyo Teresa M.
Heslin Rothenberg Farley & & Mesiti P.C.
Inzirillo Gioacchino
Molecular OptoElectronics Corporation
Radigan, Esq. Kevin P.
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