Raman amplifier with shared resonator
AssigneeApplied Energetics, Inc.
InventorsStephen William McCahon, Alan Kost, Gregory J. Quarles
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A resonating optical amplifier includes a laser pump cavity defined by a first mirror and a second mirror with a laser pump gain medium configured within a first portion of the laser pump cavity and a Raman amplifier within a second portion of the laser pump cavity. A circulating pump-laser light is introduced to the laser pump gain medium forming a pump signal that is configured to bi-directionally propagate along a beam path within the laser pump cavity. The Raman amplifier is positioned in line with the beam path of the pump signal and operable to impart gain on a seed pulse. The seed pulse and the pump signal are co-aligned and linearly polarized.
Claims17
A resonating optical amplifier, comprising:
- a laser pump cavity defined by a first mirror and a second mirror wherein the first mirror is movable thereby operable to modify a length of the laser pump cavity;
- a laser pump gain medium configured within a first portion of the laser pump cavity;
- a circulating pump-laser light configured to bi-directionally propagate through the laser pump gain medium along a beam path within the laser pump cavity forming a pump signal;
- and
- a Raman amplifier, defined by a third mirror and the second mirror, wherein the third mirror is interposed between the first mirror and the second mirror an wherein the Raman amplifier, configured within a second portion of the laser pump cavity, the second portion of the laser pump cavity overlapping with the first portion of the laser pump cavity, operable to impart gain on a seed pulse along the beam path and wherein the seed pulse and the pump signal are co-aligned and linearly polarized and wherein the second mirror has high transmittance for the pump signal while maintaining high reflectance for the seed pulse.
A method for resonating optical amplification, comprising:
- defining a laser pump cavity by a first mirror and a second mirror wherein the first mirror is movable thereby operable to modify a length of the laser pump cavity;
- configuring a laser pump gain medium within a first portion of the laser pump cavity;
- forming a pump signal from bi-directionally propagating a circulating pump-laser light through the laser pump gain medium along a beam path within the laser pump cavity;
- imparting a gain on a seed pulse along the beam path by a Raman amplifier wherein the Raman amplifier is defined by a third mirror and the second mirror and wherein the third mirror is interposed between the first mirror and the second mirror an wherein the Raman amplifier, the Raman amplifier configured within a second portion of the laser pump cavity, the second portion of the laser pump cavity overlapping with the first portion of the laser pump cavity, and wherein the seed pulse and the pump signal are co-aligned and linearly polarized;
- and
- tuning the laser pump cavity length to synchronize times at which the pump signal enter the Raman amplifier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.