Back to results
US 5,659,644 AGranted
Fiber light source with multimode fiber coupler
AssigneeLucent Technologies Inc.
InventorsDavid John DiGiovanni, Stephen Gregory Grubb, Daryl Inniss, Ralph Stephen Jameson, Kenneth Lee Walker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an optical fiber light source a section of multimode fiber is interposed between an energizing laser (e.g,, a diode laser) and a single mode fiber active medium. In a preferred embodiment the single mode fiber active medium is surrounded by a multimode cladding coupled to the multimode fiber. The source may serve as a pump laser for a fiber amplifier or as an amplified spontaneous emission source. Arrangements for coupling several energizing lasers to the active medium are also described.
Claims26
An optical fiber amplifier comprising
- an optical fiber for providing gain to an input optical signal thereon when said fiber is supplied with an optical pump signal,
- a source of said pump signal characterized in that said source comprises
- a resonator including a single mode fiber gain section capable of lasing at the wavelength of said pump signal,
- laser means for energizing said gain section, and
- a first multimode fiber section for coupling said laser means to said gain section.
2 more elements
A fiber optical amplifier comprising
- a single mode optical fiber doped with Er and Yb for providing gain to an input optical signal having a wavelength in the range of about 1525-1565 nm when supplied with an optical first pump signal at a wavelength in the range of about 1020-1090 nm,
- a fiber laser for generating said first pump signal,
- a wavelength division multiplexer for coupling said first pump signal and said input signal to said Er-Yb doped fiber,
- said fiber laser comprising
- a single mode fiber core doped with Nd or Yb and a multimode fiber cladding surrounding said core, fiber input and output gratings on said single mode core to form a resonator, said input grating having a relatively high reflectivity and said output grating having a relatively lower reflectivity both as measured at the wavelength of said first pump signal,
- a diode laser for generating a second pump signal at a wavelength in the range of about 800-1000 nm, and
- a multimode fiber section for coupling said second pump signal through said input grating into said multimode cladding.
4 more elements
A fiber light generator comprising
- a single mode fiber section having a doped core capable of emitting light in a certain wavelength first range when said core absorbs energizing light in a second wavelength range,
- a multimode fiber cladding surrounding said core,
- a source of said energizing light, and
- a first multimode fiber section coupling said source to said multimode cladding.
1 more element
A wavelength division multiplexer comprising
- a combination of first and second lenses arranged in tandem,
- a wavelength selective reflector disposed between said lenses, said reflector having a higher reflectivity at a first wavelength of light than at a second,
- a single mode fiber positioned on one side of said combination for carrying single mode light at said first wavelength,
- a multimode fiber positioned on the opposite side of said combination for carrying multimode light at said second wavelength,
- a hybrid fiber positioned on said one side and having both a single mode core for carrying single mode light at said first wavelength and having a multimode core for carrying multimode light at said second wavelength,
- said lenses being adapted to couple multimode light from said multimode fiber into the multimode core of said hybrid fiber and to couple single mode light from said single mode core of said hybrid fiber into said single mode fiber.
3 more elements
A wavelength division multiplexer comprising
- a combination of first and second lenses arranged in tandem,
- a wavelength selective reflector disposed between said lenses, said reflector having a higher reflectivity at a first wavelength of light than at a second,
- a single mode fiber positioned on one side of said combination for carrying single mode light at said first wavelength,
- a multimode fiber positioned on the opposite side of said combination for carrying multimode light at said second wavelength,
- a hybrid fiber positioned on said opposite side and having both a single mode core for carrying single mode light at said first wavelength and having a multimode core for carrying multimode light at said second wavelength,
- said lenses being adapted to couple multimode light from said multimode fiber into the multimode core of said hybrid fiber and to couple single mode light from said single mode core of said hybrid fiber into said single mode fiber.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.