Helical fiber amplifier
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsJeffrey P. Koplow, Dahy Kliner, Lew Goldberg
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Abstract
A multi-mode gain fiber is provided which affords substantial improvements in the maximum pulse energy, peak power handling capabilities, average output power, and/or pumping efficiency of fiber amplifier and laser sources while maintaining good beam quality (comparable to that of a conventional single-mode fiber source). These benefits are realized by coiling the multimode gain fiber to induce significant bend loss for all but the lowest-order mode(s).
Claims20
A multimode fiber amplifier system providing discrimination between a fundamental mode and undesired higher-order modes, said amplifier system comprising:
- a light source for producing a light beam, and
- a linear multimode fiber amplifier for receiving said light beam and comprising a multimode doped optical fiber having a V-number equal to or higher than 4 with respect to an input signal, capable of supporting a fundamental mode and higher-order modes, having a radius of curvature such that the higher-order modes of said input signal experience substantially increased bend losses as compared with the fundamental mode of said input signal.
A linear multimode fiber amplifier comprising:
- a cylindrical support member, and
- a doped multimode optical fiber having a V-number equal to or higher than 4 with respect to an input signal, capable of supporting a fundamental mode and a plurality of higher-order modes, said fiber being wound onto said support with a radius such that said higher-order modes of said input signal experience substantially increased bend loss as compared with the fundamental mode of said input signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.