US 2006/0132903 A1 · Passive phasing of fiber amplifiers

Abstract

A method passively locks and phases an array of fiber amplifiers in a fiber amplifier system that emits a beam, such as a laser beam. The method locks the fiber amplifiers so that the fiber amplifiers operate at same or similar frequencies. The method samples a small portion of the emitted beam in a far-field around a central lobe on an optical axis and then couples this portion of emitted beam back into the array of fiber amplifiers. The fiber amplifiers may be phased so that the emitted beam concentrates its energy around the central lobe in the far-field. Phasing may be achieved by using an aperture, for example, to restrict the portion of the emitted beam to be coupled back to a restricted region around the optical axis.

Claims43

Dependent claims

A method for passive phasing of fiber amplifiers, the method comprising:

placing an optical device at a far-field of an array of fiber amplifiers;
emitting a beam from the array of fiber amplifiers;
and
coupling a first portion of the emitted beam back into the array of fiber amplifiers through a coupling hole, wherein only the first portion of the emitted beam propagates through the coupling hole.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

11/015,671Filed 20 Dec 2004

Published

22 Jun 2006

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

H01S 3/2383
Arrangements of two or more lasers not provided for in groups H01S3/02 - H01S3/22, e.g. tandem arrangements of separate active media: parallel…
G02B 27/108
Beam splitting or combining systems: for sampling a portion of a beam or combining a small beam in a larger one, e.g. wherein the area ratio or…
G02B 27/144
Operating by reflection only: using partially transparent surfaces without spectral selectivity
H01S 3/10092
Frequency control by seeding: coherent seed, e.g. injection locking

Passive phasing of fiber amplifiers

Life of this patent

Passive phasing of fiber amplifiers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims43