High-radiance wavelength-agile incoherent light-source
AssigneeCoherent, Inc.
InventorsSergei V. GOVORKOV, John H. JERMAN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A source of high-radiance broad-band incoherent light includes an optical waveguide, having a core made of phosphor granules embedded in a matrix of glass and a cladding. The core having a relatively high refractive index and the cladding having a relatively low refractive index. The phosphor granules and the glass matrix having about the same refractive index. Radiation from one or more diode-lasers is injected into one end of the waveguide to energize the phosphor granules, producing broad-band incoherent light, which is confined and guided to an opposite end of the waveguide as output light.
Claims25
An optical waveguide, comprising:
- a core including phosphor granules in a glass matrix, the phosphor granules and the glass matrix having about the same refractive index;
- and
- a cladding having a refractive index less than the refractive index of the glass matrix.
Optical apparatus, comprising:
- an optical waveguide having a core including phosphor granules in a glass matrix and a cladding having a refractive index less than either the phosphor granules and the glass matrix, the phosphor granules and the glass matrix of the core having about the same refractive index;
- and
- a pump-radiation source arranged to direct pump-radiation into a proximal end of the optical waveguide, the pump-radiation propagating along the waveguide, the pump-radiation causing the phosphor granules to emit broad-band incoherent radiation, a portion of the broad-band incoherent radiation guided by the waveguide to a distal end of the optical waveguide.
A light-source, comprising:
- a fiber waveguide having a proximal end and a distal end, the fiber waveguide including a core having phosphor granules in a glass matrix and a cladding, the core having a higher refractive index than the cladding, and with the phosphor granules and the glass matrix having about the same refractive index;
- a pump-radiation source arranged to direct pump-radiation into the proximal end of the fiber waveguide, the pump-radiation propagating along the fiber waveguide, the pump-radiation causing the phosphor granules to emit broad-band incoherent radiation, a portion of the broad-band incoherent radiation guided by the waveguide to a distal end of the optical waveguide;
- a hemispherical end-cap attached to the distal end of the optical fiber waveguide, the end-cap having about the same refractive index as the core;
- a lens arranged to collect broad-band incoherent radiation transmitted through the end-cap;
- and
- spectral-selection optics, the lens directing the broad-band incoherent radiation into the spectral-selection optics.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.