Fiber extended, semiconductor laser
OwnerRobert L. Thorntoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A semiconductor laser, such as a vertical cavity, surface emitting laser (VCSEL) is coupled to an optical fiber. The other end of the optical fiber has a reflector, so as to provide a fiber-extended cavity for the VCSEL. Such a construction is useful for providing modal stability to the VCSEL or for forming a mode-locked VCSEL. The optical fiber may be a graded index fiber. In such a case, the fiber length may be selected to have an integral number of quarter pitch lengths. The fiber may be doped with an excitable species and lies within a fiber laser cavity. A semiconductor laser may pump the fiber laser, yielding an emission wavelength beyond the scope of the conventional semiconductor laser.
Claims54
A laser device, comprising:
- a vertical cavity, surface emitting laser (VCSEL) section comprising at least a Bragg reflector, a first gain region and an intracavity reflector formed over a substrate;
- an extended cavity section comprising an optical fiber having first and second ends, the first end of the optical fiber being optically coupled to the first gain region;
- and
- an output coupler optically coupled to the second end of the fiber, a resonant cavity being formed between the Bragg reflector and the output coupler,
- wherein the laser device operates on a single longitudinal mode.
A laser device, comprising:
- a vertical cavity, surface emitting laser (VCSEL) section comprising at least a Bragg reflector and a first gain region formed over a substrate;
- and
- an extended cavity section comprising a multiple mode optical fiber having first and second ends, the first end of the optical fiber being optically coupled to the gain region, an output coupler being optically coupled to the second end, a laser cavity being formed between the Bragg reflector and the output coupler.
A laser device, comprising:
- a vertical cavity, surface emitting laser (VCSEL) section comprising at least a Bragg reflector and first and second gain regions formed over a substrate;
- and
- an extended cavity section comprising a graded index optical fiber having first and second ends and an associated pitch length, the first end of the optical fiber being optically coupled to the first and second gain regions;
- and
- an output coupler optically coupled to the second end of the optical fiber, first and second laser cavities, associated respectively with the first and second gain regions, each being formed between the Bragg reflector and the output coupler.
A laser device, comprising:
- a semiconductor laser comprising at least a high reflector and a gain region formed over a substrate;
- an optical fiber having first and second ends, the first end of the optical fiber being optically coupled to the gain region, the optical fiber being doped with an excitable species manifesting optical gain when pumped with light at a pump wavelength generated by the semiconductor laser, the optical fiber being disposed within a fiber laser cavity formed between first and second fiber laser mirrors, a pump light reflector for reflecting light at the pump wavelength being coupled to the second end of the optical fiber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.