Method and apparatus for coherently combining multiple laser oscillators
AssigneeHRL Laboratories, LLC
InventorsJeffrey Rogers, Monica Minden, Hans W. Bruesselbach, Cris Jones
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A laser apparatus having multiple laser devices coupled together. The laser devices comprise optical fibers with laser active regions. Each of the fibers has a reflector disposed at one end and is connected to a combiner on the other end. A laser pump device for each fiber provides pump energy to the laser active regions. Light propagating in the fibers interacts so as to form inphase states. The array of fibers may be coupled either in pairs or altogether between the reflector and the laser active region.
Claims34
A method of coherently combining multiple laser oscillators, comprising:
- providing a plurality of lasers;
- coupling the plurality of lasers;
- and
- configuring the coupling between the plurality of lasers so that each laser interacts with at least one other laser to pull an intrinsic frequency distribution of the at least one other laser,
- wherein the interactions between the lasers form a coherent optical output.
An apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber having a first reflector disposed at a first end and having a laser active region comprising laser active material;
- one or more laser pump devices for applying pump energy to the laser active region of each optical fiber of the plurality of optical fibers;
- and
- a combiner coupled to a second end of each of the optical fibers, the combiner combining light directed from the plurality of optical fibers and producing an optical output,
- wherein said combiner is configured to couple the light directed from each fiber so that the light from one fiber interacts with at least one other fiber to pull an intrinsic frequency distribution of the light of the at least one other fiber.
A laser apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of laser devices;
- and
- first means for coupling the plurality of laser devices, the first means coupling the plurality of laser devices so that laser light of each laser device interacts with the laser light of at least one other laser device to pull an intrinsic frequency distribution of the at least one other laser device,
- wherein the interactions between the laser light of two or more of the laser devices form a coherent optical output.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.