Multiple core fiber laser and optical amplifier

An optical fiber comprising,

• multiple nonconcentric core regions embedded within lower refractive index cladding material, all of said core regions doped with one or more active ionic species and all of said core regions being capable, when excited by pump light, of producing optical gain via stimulated emission of optical radiation propagating within each of said core regions, said different ones of said multiple core regions being doped with at least two different active ionic species.

An optical fiber comprising,

• multiple nonconcentric core regions embedded within lower refractive index cladding material, all of said core regions doped with one or more active ionic species and all of said core regions being capable, when excited by pump light, of producing optical gain via stimulated emission of optical radiation propagating within each of said core regions, at least one core region supporting multiple spatial modes of propagation of optical radiation therein.

An optical fiber comprising,

• multiple nonconcentric core regions embedded within lower refractive index cladding material, all of said core regions doped with one or more active ionic species and all of said core regions being capable, when excited by pump light, of producing optical gain via stimulated emission of optical radiation propagating within each of said core regions,
• neighboring core regions producing optical gain of optical radiation propagating therein being located close enough to each other to permit evanescent coupling of said optical radiation between said neighboring core regions to establish phase locking of said optical radiation, and
• reflection means for providing reflective feedback of said optical radiation propagating within each of said core regions to establish resonant laser cavities for all of said core regions.

An optical fiber comprising,

• multiple nonconcentric core regions embedded within lower refractive index cladding material, at least two of said core regions doped with one or more active ionic species capable, when excited by pump light, of producing optical gain via stimulated emission wherein said cladding material forms a double cladding structure with an inner cladding surrounding each core region and an outer cladding of lower refractive index than the cladding material forming said inner cladding, said outer cladding embedding said inner cladding material.

A fiber gain medium comprising,

• an optical fiber having multiple nonconcentric core regions each doped with an active ionic species, all of said core regions being capable, when excited by pump light, of providing optical amplification of light propagating within each of said core regions, each said core region being embedded within a lower refractive index cladding region of said optical fiber, at least one core region supporting multiple spatial modes of light propagation therein, and
• means for providing and coupling pump light into said optical fiber.

A fiber gain medium comprising,

• an optical fiber having multiple nonconcentric core regions each doped with an active ionic species, all of said core regions having elliptical cross-sections and all of said core regions being capable, when excited by pump light, of providing optical amplification of light propagating within each of said core regions, each said core region being embedded within a lower refractive index cladding region of said optical fiber, and
• means for providing and coupling pump light into said optical fiber.

A fiber gain medium comprising,

• an optical fiber having multiple nonconcentric core regions each doped with an active ionic species, all of said core regions having rectangular cross-sections and all of said core regions being capable, when excited by pump light, of providing optical amplification of light propagating within each of said core regions, each said core region being embedded within a lower refractive index cladding region of said optical fiber, and
• means for providing and coupling pump light into said optical fiber.

A fiber gain medium comprising,

• an optical fiber having multiple nonconcentric core regions each doped with an active ionic species, all of said core regions being capable, when excited by pump light, of providing optical amplification of light propagating within each of said core regions, each said core region being embedded within a lower refractive index cladding region of said optical fiber and each said cladding region having a circular cross-section, and
• means for providing and coupling pump light into said optical fiber.

A fiber gain medium comprising,

• an optical fiber having multiple nonconcentric core regions each doped with an active ionic species, all of said core regions being capable, when excited by pump light, of providing optical amplification of light propagating within each of said core regions, each said core region being embedded within a lower refractive index cladding region of said optical fiber and each said cladding region having an elliptical cross-section, and
• means for providing and coupling pump light into said optical fiber.

A fiber gain medium comprising,

• an optical fiber having multiple nonconcentric core regions each doped with an active ionic species, all of said core regions being capable, when excited by pump light, of providing optical amplification of light propagating within each of said core regions, each said core region being embedded within a lower refractive index cladding region of said optical fiber, all of said core regions being embedded within the same cladding region, said cladding region embedding said multiple core regions being embedded within an outer cladding of said fiber, and
• means for providing and coupling pump light into said optical fiber.

A fiber gain medium comprising,

• an optical fiber having multiple nonconcentric core regions each doped with an active ionic species capable, when excited by pump light, of undergoing optical amplification, each said core region being embedded within a lower refractive index cladding region of said optical fiber, and wherein each core region is embedded within a separate cladding region, each cladding region embedding a core region being, in turn, embedded within an outer cladding of said fiber, and
• means for providing and coupling pump light into said optical fiber.

A fiber gain medium comprising,

• an optical fiber having multiple nonconcentric core regions each doped with an active ionic species, said multiple core regions being arranged in a closely spaced hexagonal configuration and all of said core regions being capable, when excited by pump light, of providing optical amplification of light propagating within each of said core regions, each said core region being embedded within a lower refractive index cladding region of said optical fiber, and
• means for providing and coupling pump light into said optical fiber.

A fiber gain medium comprising,

• an optical fiber having multiple nonconcentric core regions each doped with an active ionic species capable, when excited by pump light, of undergoing optical amplification, each said core region being embedded within a lower refractive index cladding region of said optical fiber, and wherein at least two of said core regions are doped with different active ionic species, and
• means for providing and coupling pump light into said optical fiber.

A monolithically integrated fiber laser array, comprising,

• a single optical fiber medium with multiple nonconcentric core regions incorporated therein, all of said core regions doped with an active lasing ionic species to form a light emitting laser element in an array of such laser elements, said fiber medium comprising a double clad optical fiber,
• reflection means associated with said optical fiber medium for defining a laser cavity within all of said core regions of said fiber medium, and
• optical pump means for exciting said active lasing ionic species in all of said core regions to lasing action.

A monolithically integrated fiber laser array comprising

• a single optical fiber medium with multiple nonconcentric core regions incorporated therein, each core region doped with an active lasing ionic species to form a light emitting laser element in an array of such laser elements, different sets of core regions being separately embedded within different cladding regions of said fiber medium,
• reflection means associated with said optical fiber medium for defining a laser cavity within each core region of said fiber medium, and
• optical pump means for exciting said active lasing ionic species in said core regions to lasing action, said optical pump means separately pumping each different cladding region, whereby each set of core regions is independently excitable to lasing action.