System and method for plasmonic control of short pulses in optical fibers
AssigneeLawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
InventorsEyal Feigenbaum, Graham S. Allen, Jay W. Dawson, Mikhail A. Noginov
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to an optical waveguide system. The system may include a first waveguide having a core-guide and a material portion surrounding and encasing the core-guide. The core-guide enables a core-guide mode for an optical signal travelling through the core-guide. A second waveguide forms a lossy waveguide on an outer surface of the first waveguide. The construction of the second waveguide is such as to achieve a desired coupling between the core-guide mode and the lossy waveguide to control an energy level of the optical signal travelling through the core-guide.
Claims20
An optical waveguide system including:
- a first waveguide having a core-guide and a cladding material portion fully surrounding and fully encasing the core-guide, the cladding material having an exposed, flat outer surface portion extending along a length of the first waveguide, and the core-guide enabling a core-guide mode for an optical signal travelling through the core-guide;
- a second waveguide forming a lossy waveguide supported directly on the exposed, flat outer surface portion of the cladding material of the first waveguide;
- the construction of the second waveguide being such as to achieve a desired coupling between the core-guide mode and the lossy waveguide to control an energy level of the optical signal travelling through the core-guide;
- and
- an optical pump source configured to inject optical energy into the first waveguide from an angle non-parallel to the core-guide, using the coupling between the core-guide mode and the lossy waveguide.
A surface emitting fiber laser including:
- an optical fiber forming a first waveguide, and having a core-guide and a material portion surrounding and encasing the core-guide, the core-guide enabling a core-guide mode for an optical signal travelling through the core-guide;
- a second waveguide formed from metal secured to an outer surface of the first waveguide, the second waveguide forming a plasmonic device which implements a plasmonic mode waveguide;
- the construction of the second waveguide being such as to achieve a desired coupling between the core-guide mode and the plasmonic mode waveguide;
- and
- an optical pump source for injecting optical pump energy into the core-guide via the coupling between the plasmonic device and the core-guide.
A method for forming an optical waveguide, including:
- providing a first waveguide having a core-guide and a cladding material portion surrounding fully surrounding and fully encasing the core-guide, the cladding material having an exposed, flat outer surface portion extending along a length of the first waveguide, and the core-guide enabling a core-guide mode for an optical signal travelling through the core-guide;
- disposing a second waveguide, formed from metal, on the exposed, flat outer surface portion of the cladding material of the first waveguide, the second waveguide forming a plasmonic device which implements a plasmonic mode waveguide;
- and
- using the second waveguide to achieve a desired coupling between the core-guide mode and the plasmonic mode waveguide to control an energy level of the optical signal travelling through the core-guide;
- and
- using an optical pump source to inject optical energy into the core-guide, using the plasmonic coupling between the plasmonic device and the core-guide, from a location along a length of the first waveguide and in a direction non-parallel to a longitudinal axis of the optical waveguide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.