Hybrid short-pulse amplifiers with phase-mismatch compensated pulse stretchers and compressors

A system for amplification of short optical pulses, comprising:

• a selfphase modulation fiber
• an optical amplifier receiving stretched light pulses and outputting amplified light pulses therefrom;
• a compressor receiving the amplified light pulses and outputting compressed light pulses therefrom, said compressor having at least one light path wherein the amplified pulse is collimated, and comprising a lens arrangement inserted in said light path, said lens arrangement preserving collimation of said amplified pulse.

A system for producing short optical pulses, comprising:

• a compact injection source producing light pulses;
• an optical amplifier receiving the light pulse and outputting amplified pulses therefrom;
• a compressor receiving the amplified pulses and outputting compressed pulses, said compressor having at least one collimated light path, and comprising a lens arrangement inserted in said collimated light path, wherein said lens arrangement preserves collimation.

A system for amplification of short optical pulses, comprising:

• a stretcher receiving light pulses and outputting stretched light pulses therefrom, said stretcher comprising a nonlinearly chirped fiber grating;
• an optical amplifier receiving the stretched light pulses and outputting amplified light pulses therefrom;
• a compressor receiving the amplified light pulses and outputting compressed light pulses therefrom.

A method for compensating nonlinear group velocity dispersion mismatch between a stretcher and a compressor in a system for amplification of short optical pulses, said method comprising inserting at least one lens arrangement in a spatially chirped collimated beam in one of said stretcher and compressor, wherein the lens arrangement preserves collimation of light passing therethrough.

A method for compensating nonlinear group velocity dispersion mismatch between a stretcher and a compressor in a system for amplification of short optical pulses, said method comprising creating a nonlinearly chirped Bragg grating in said stretcher.

An apparatus for amplifying stretched ultrashort pulses, comprising:

• a first gain media having a predefined amplification band;
• a second gain media having a predefined amplification band which does not overlap the amplification band of said first gain media;
• a nonlinear optical crystal inserted in a light path between said first and second gain media for achieving wavelength matching between said first and second gain media.

In an apparatus for amplifying stretched ultrashort pulses, said apparatus comprising a first gain media having a predefined amplification band and a second gain media having a predefined amplification band which does not overlap the amplification band of said first gain media, a method for achieving wavelength matching between said first and second gain media, said method comprising inserting a nonlinear optical crystal in a light path between said first and second gain.

An optical amplification system, comprising:

• a laser amplifier operating at a first set of predetermined conditions:
• a pump laser consisting essentially of the same material as the amplifier and operating under a second set of predetermined operating conditions different from said first set of operating conditions to thereby emit light at a shorter wavelength than said amplifier and match an absorption band of said amplifier.

A method for operating an optical amplification system, said optical amplification system comprising a laser amplifier and a pump laser consisting essentially of the same material as the amplifier, the method comprising:

• operating said laser amplifier at a first set of predetermined conditions;
• operating said pump laser under a second set of predetermined operating conditions different from said first set of operating conditions to thereby cause said pump laser to emit light at a shorter wavelength than said amplifier and to match an absorption band of said amplifier.

A system for amplification of short optical pulses, comprising:

• a stretcher receiving light pulses and outputting stretched light pulses therefrom:
• an optical amplifier receiving the stretched light pulses and outputting amplified light pulses therefrom;
• a compressor receiving the amplified light pulses and outputting compressed light pulses therefrom, said compressor comprising a nonlinearly chirped fiber grating.