US 10,720,748 B2 · Amplifier assembly with semiconductor optical amplifier

Abstract

In one embodiment, a laser system includes a seed laser diode configured to produce a free-space seed-laser beam and a seed-laser focusing lens configured to focus the seed-laser beam. The laser system also includes a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) that includes a front facet, a back facet, and a waveguide extending from the front facet to the back facet. The SOA is configured to: receive, at the front facet, light from the focused seed-laser beam; amplify the received light as the received light propagates along the SOA waveguide from the front facet to the back facet; and emit, from the back facet, an amplified free-space beam that includes the amplified received light. The laser system further includes a mounting platform, where one or more of the seed laser diode, the seed-laser focusing lens, and the SOA are mechanically attached to the mounting platform.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A laser system comprising:

a seed laser diode configured to produce a free-space seed-laser beam;
a seed-laser focusing lens configured to focus the seed-laser beam;
a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) comprising a front facet, a back facet, and a waveguide extending from the front facet to the back facet, wherein the SOA is configured to:
receive, at the front facet, light from the focused seed-laser beam;
amplify the received light as the received light propagates along the SOA waveguide from the front facet to the back facet;
and
emit, from the back facet, an amplified free-space beam comprising the amplified received light, wherein the amplified free-space beam comprises optical pulses, the optical pulses having:
a wavelength between 1400 nm and 1600 nm;
a pulse energy between 0.01 μJ and 100 μJ;
a pulse repetition frequency between 100 kHz and 10 MHz;
and
a pulse duration between 0.2 ns and 20 ns;
and
a mounting platform, wherein one or more of the seed laser diode, the seed-laser focusing lens, and the SOA are mechanically attached to the mounting platform.

11 more elements

A laser system comprising:

a seed laser diode configured to produce a free-space seed-laser beam;
a seed-laser focusing lens configured to focus the seed-laser beam;
a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) comprising a front facet, a back facet, and a waveguide extending from the front facet to the back facet, wherein the SOA is configured to:
receive, at the front facet, light from the focused seed-laser beam;
amplify the received light as the received light propagates along the SOA waveguide from the front facet to the back facet;
and
emit, from the back facet, an amplified free-space beam comprising the amplified received light;
a pump laser diode configured to produce a free-space pump-laser beam;
an optical-beam combiner configured to combine the amplified beam emitted by the SOA and the pump-laser beam into a combined free-space beam;
a focusing lens configured to focus the combined beam;
an optical gain fiber comprising an input end configured to receive the focused combined beam;
and
a mounting platform, wherein one or more of the seed laser diode, the seed-laser focusing lens, the SOA, the pump laser diode, the optical-beam combiner, the focusing lens, and the input end of the optical gain fiber are mechanically attached to the mounting platform.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Amplifier assembly with semiconductor optical amplifier

Life of this patent

Amplifier assembly with semiconductor optical amplifier

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims28