Back to results
US 10,483,709 B2Granted
Sub-nanosecond broad spectrum generating laser system
AssigneeIpg Photonics Corporation
InventorsIgor Moskalev, Sergey Vasilyev, Michael Mirov, Valentin Gapontsev
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides systems and methods for producing short laser pulses that are amplified and spectrally broadened in a bulk gain media. The bulk material, having laser gain and nonlinear properties, is concurrently exposed to an optical pump input and a seed input, the pump power being sufficient to amplify and spectrally broaden the seed pulse.
Claims10
A method of enhancing properties of sub-nanosecond pulses comprising:
- coupling pulsed signal light at a first wavelength into a bulk gain medium, thereby guiding input sub-nanosecond pulses of the signal light through the bulk gain medium in a single pass, wherein each input sub-nanosecond pulse of the signal light has a first pulse duration, first spectral width and first pulse peak power;
- and
- coupling pump light at a second wavelength, which is different from the first wavelength, into the bulk gain medium while guiding the sub-nanosecond pulses there through, thereby outputting sub-nanosecond pulses at the first wavelength such that each output sub-nanosecond pulse has a:
- second pulse duration shorter than the first pulse duration,
- second spectral width broader than the first spectral width, and
- second pulse peak power higher than the first pulse peak power;
- and
- generating the signal light by pico- or femtosecond TM:II-VI lasers prior to the coupling of the input sub-nanosecond pulses into the bulk gain medium such that the first peak power of the sub-nanosecond pulses at least equals to a critical power (PC) for self-focusing in the bulk gain medium, the bulk gain medium being selected from TM:II-VI nanocrystals or polycrystals which are made from Cr:ZnS, Cr:ZnSe, Cr:CdS, Fe:ZnSe or Fe:ZnS.
5 more elements
A sub-nanosecond, broad spectrum generating laser system comprising:
- a master oscillator emitting pulsed signal light of input sub-nanosecond pulses along a path at a first wavelength, the input sub-nanosecond pulses each having a first pulse duration, first spectral width and first pulse peak power;
- a nonlinear bulk gain medium downstream from the master oscillator;
- an optical pump emitting continuous or discontinuous light pump at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength;
- and
- an input optical assembly between the master oscillator and nonlinear bulk gain medium, the input optical assembly being configured to superimpose and focus the pulsed signal and pump light on the bulk gain medium in a single pass such that the nonlinear bulk gain medium outputs sub-nanosecond pulses at the first wavelength, wherein each output sub-nanosecond pulse has a:
- second pulse duration shorter than the first pulse duration,
- second spectral width broader than the first spectral width, and
- second pulse peak power higher than the first pulse peak power;
- and
- wherein the nonlinear bulk gain medium includes TM:II-VI nanocrystals or polycrystals made form one of Cr:ZnS, Cr:ZnSe, Cr:CdS, Fe:ZnSe or Fe:ZnS.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.