Diode pumped, fiber coupled laser with depolarized pump beam
AssigneeSpectra-Physics Lasers, Inc.
InventorAlan B. Petersen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A laser or laser amplifier apparatus has a diode pump source producing a polarized pump beam. A laser head includes a gain medium that produces an output beam. One or more optical fibers are coupled to the diode pump source and deliver the pump beam to the laser head. A depolarization device is coupled to the diode pump source, laser head or optical fiber and produces an depolarized pump beam. By depolarizing the output beam, movement, including rotation, of the pump source does not comprise the output beam produced from the laser head.
Claims54
A laser or laser amplifier apparatus, comprising:
- a diode pump source producing a polarized pump beam;
- an optical fiber coupled to the diode pump source;
- a depolarization device configured to receive one of the polarized pump beam or an optical fiber delivered pump beam and produce a depolarized pump beam, wherein the depolarization device reduces a sensitivity of the laser or laser amplifier apparatus to one of a polarization rotation or a partial depolarization effect created by the optical fiber;
- and
- a laser head including a polarization dependent absorption gain medium pumped by the depolarized pump beam and generating an output beam.
A laser or laser amplifier apparatus, comprising:
- a diode pump source producing a polarized pump beam;
- an optical fiber coupled to the diode pump source;
- a laser head including a polarization dependent absorption gain medium pumped by a depolarized pump beam and generate an output beam;
- and
- a depolarization device configured to receive one of the polarized pump beam or an optical fiber delivered pump beam and produce the depolarized pump beam, wherein the depolarization device reduces a sensitivity of the laser or laser amplifier apparatus to one of a polarization rotation or a partial depolarization effect created by the optical fiber, and the depolarization device is coupled to one of the diode pump source, the laser head or the optical fiber and produce a depolarized pump beam.
A laser or laser amplifier apparatus, comprising:
- a diode pump source producing a polarized pump beam;
- an optical fiber coupled to the diode pump source and delivering the pump beam to the laser head, wherein the optical fiber has a geometry which changes the polarized pump beam to a depolarized pump beam and reduces one of a polarization rotation or a partial depolarization effect of the optical fiber;
- and
- a laser head including a polarization dependent absorption gain medium pumped by the depolarized pump beam and generate an output beam.
A laser or laser amplifier apparatus, comprising:
- a first diode pump source producing a first polarized pump beam with a first polarization direction;
- a second diode pump source producing a second polarization pump beam with a second polarization direction that is different from the first polarization direction;
- a beam combining device configured to combine the first and second polarized pump beams and produce a depolarized pump beam;
- an optical fiber coupled to the first and second diode pump sources;
- and
- a laser head including a polarization dependent absorption gain medium pumped by the depolarized pump beam and generate an output beam.
A laser or laser amplifier apparatus, comprising:
- a first diode pump source producing a first polarized pump beam with a first polarization direction;
- a second diode pump source producing a second polarization pump beam with a second polarization direction that is different from the first polarization direction;
- a laser head including a polarization dependent absorption gain medium pumped by a depolarized pump beam and generating an output beam;
- and
- a telescope arrangement of optical elements positioned between the gain medium and an output end of the optical fiber configured to combine the first and second polarized pump beams and produce a depolarized pump beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.