Laser pump source and method of operation thereof
AssigneeNortel Networks Limited
InventorJonathan Paul King
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multi-mode pump laser having an output, and an optical fiber coupler. The optical fiber coupler has a first section and a second section. The first section of the optical fiber coupler comprises a multi-mode fiber which is optically coupled to the pump laser output. The second section of the fiber coupler comprises a plurality of single mode optical fibers each of which has an input which is optically coupled to the multi-mode fiber. The source further comprises a pump drive which is controllable to dither the optical center frequency of the light produced by the pump laser, so as to scramble modal power distribution at the inputs of the single mode optical fibers.
Claims28
A laser pump source comprising
- a multi-mode pump laser having an output,
- an optical fibre coupler having a first section and a second section, the first section of the optical fibre coupler comprising a multi-mode fibre which is optically coupled to the pump laser output, the second section of the fibre coupler comprising a plurality of single mode optical fibres each of which has an input which is optically coupled to the multi-mode fibre, and
- a pump drive which is controllable to dither the optical centre frequency of the light produced by the pump laser so as to scramble modal power distribution at the inputs of the single mode optical fibres.
A method of providing a plurality of single mode optical pump sources, comprising the steps of:
- providing a laser pump source comprising a multi-mode pump laser having an output,
- providing an optical fibre coupler having a first section and a second section, the first section of the optical fibre coupler comprising a multi-mode fibre, the second section of the fibre coupler comprising a plurality of single mode optical fibres each of which has an input,
- optically coupling the multi-mode fibre to the pump laser output,
- optically coupling each of said single mode optical fibres to the multi-mode fibre
- and providing a pump drive which is controllable to dither the optical centre frequency of the light produced by the pump laser so as to scramble modal power distribution at the inputs of the single mode optical fibres.
An optical fibre coupler for use with a laser pump source comprising:
- a multi-mode pump laser having an output, and a pump drive which is controllable to dither the optical centre frequency of the light produced by the pump laser so as to scramble modal power distribution;
- the optical fibre coupler having a first section and a second section, the first section of the optical fibre coupler comprising a multi-mode fibre which is optically couplable to the pump laser output, the second section of the fibre coupler comprising a plurality of single mode optical fibres each of which is optically coupled to the first section of the optical fibre coupler.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.