High power fiber gain media system achieved through power scaling via multiplexing
AssigneeSDL, Inc.
InventorsRobert G. Waarts, David F. Welch, Stephen G. Grubb, Jean-Luc Archambault, Steven Sanders, Raymond Zanoni, Donald R. Scifres
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Power scaling by multiplexing multiple fiber gain sources with different wavelengths, pulsing or polarization modes of operation is achieved through multiplex combining of the multiple fiber gain sources to provide high power outputs, such as ranging from tens of watts to hundreds of watts, provided on a single mode or multimode fiber.
Claims135
A fiber laser system for scaling the optical power to a common output, comprising:
- a plurality of fiber lasers each comprising a fiber having an inner cladding surrounding an active dopant core and an outer cladding surrounding the inner cladding;
- at least one pumping source coupled to the inner cladding of each of said fiber lasers;
- a reflector to stabilize the wavelength of operation of at least one of said fiber lasers to a wavelength different from the wavelength output of any other of said fiber lasers;
- and
- a wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) device coupled to receive and combine said different wavelength outputs as a single output.
A fiber laser system comprising:
- a plurality of double clad fiber lasers having a pump core and rare earth doped cores;
- at least one pumping source coupled to the pump core of each of said fiber lasers;
- a signal source coupled to the pumped core of each of said fiber lasers, each of said signal sources individually modulated to provide a train of pulses that are out of phase with the train of pulses of other of said signal sources;
- and
- a time division multiplexor (TDM) device coupled to receive and combine all of said plural pulse trains as single output source.
A fiber laser system for scaling the optical power to a common output, comprising:
- a plurality of fiber lasers each having an inner cladding surrounding a rare earth doped core;
- at least one pumping source coupled to the inner cladding of each of said fiber lasers;
- a fiber grating formed in an output fiber from at least some of said fiber lasers to stabilize the wavelength of operation of said fiber lasers to a narrow linewidth output at a wavelength different from the wavelength output of any other of said fiber lasers producing a plurality of outputs of different wavelengths;
- at least one of the outputs of said fiber lasers coupled to a Raman fiber laser to provide Raman wavelength shifting and
- means for combining the outputs of said fiber lasers to produce a high power common output.
A fiber gain source comprising at least two concentric, monomode pumped cores surrounded by an outer pump cladding for pumping of said cores, the first of said pumped cores incorporated a first active dopant and the second of said pump cores incorporated with a second active dopant, and a pumping source for providing pump light to said outer pump cladding and having a wavelength band within the absorption band of both the first and second active dopants.
A laser system for scaling the optical power to a common output, comprising:
- a first set of plurality of laser sources having different wavelength outputs;
- means at the output of each of said laser sources to stabilize their output wavelengths of operation;
- a plurality of WDM couplers for coupling the outputs of pairs of said laser sources in a tree-like pattern until all of said laser sources are coupled to the common output.
A fiber laser system comprising:
- a plurality of fiber lasers each having a given active dopant providing a different wavelength gain spectrum;
- a chirped fiber grating at an output of said fiber laser;
- said chirped grating allowing feedback over defined band of wavelengths so that said lasers operate in multiple wavelengths over their respective bands;
- and
- WDM combining means to receive said outputs from said fiber lasers.
A fiber laser system comprising:
- a fiber laser having a gain medium comprising a double clad fiber with its core doped with an active dopant;
- a single mode fiber coupled to receive the output of said fiber laser;
- a fiber grating contained in said single mode fiber;
- said grating providing feedback to stabilize the wavelength operation of said fiber laser.
A WDM laser system comprising:
- a plurality of fiber lasers, each of said fiber lasers doped with one or more active dopants that are homogeneously broaden providing sufficient gain for lasing action over a broad band of wavelengths;
- each of said fiber lasers induced to operate at a separate wavelength within the gain spectra of the respective active dopant(s) of each of said fiber lasers;
- and
- means for WDM combining said separate wavelength outputs.
A fiber laser system comprising:
- a plurality of fiber lasers providing separate outputs at different wavelengths;
- and
- at least one of said output wavelengths being provided through Raman shifting in one of the fiber lasers.
A gain medium system comprising:
- a plurality of gain media at least two doped with a different active dopant;
- said gain media producing an output of a different wavelength;
- the outputs from said gain media WDM combined and launched into a single mode fiber;
- and
- pumping means for excitation of each of said gain media.
A laser gain media capable of producing gain over a broad band of wavelengths comprising:
- a plurality of gain producing fibers;
- a wavelength dispersing element for said gain producing fibers comprising a dispersive grating;
- an optical cavity formed by first reflective means in each of said gain producing fibers and a second reflective means comprising a broad band reflective mirror to provide feedback to said gain producing fibers respectively at different wavelengths, said first and second reflective means forming a lasing cavity in connection with each of said gain producing fibers;
- said gain producing fibers positioned so that their respective outputs impinge on said dispersive grating at different angular positions relative to a planar extent of said grating creating feedback to different wavelengths;
- said broad band reflective mirror producing a wavelength combined collinear output beam.
A laser system comprising:
- a plurality of gain sources each providing a light output;
- means for pumping said gain sources
- a wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) device coupled to said gain sources to receive and combine the light outputs from each of said gain sources into a common output;
- and
- external feedback means coupled to receive the light output of at least some of said gain sources, said feedback means being broadband to permit lasing at multiple wavelengths by said gain sources.
A laser system comprising:
- a plurality of laser sources each providing a light output;
- a wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) device coupled to said laser sources to receive and combine the light outputs from each of said laser sources into a common output;
- said system characterized by
- multimodal means coupled to the light output of at least some of said laser sources provide feedback causing them to operate with multimodes.
A laser system comprising:
- a plurality of laser sources each providing a light output;
- a wavelength division multiplexer (WDM) device coupled to said laser sources to receive and combine the light outputs from each of said laser sources into a common output;
- said system characterized by
- multimodal means comprising a plurality of multimode laser diodes with their light outputs coupled to said common output.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.