Rare earth doped optical waveguide and laser with optimal bending curves
AssigneePhoton-X, Inc.
InventorRenyuan Gao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A channel waveguide optical amplifier is disclosed. The amplifier includes a substrate and an optical waveguide channel disposed on the substrate. The optical waveguide channel includes a first generally spiraling portion having a first free end and a first connected end, a second generally spiraling portion having a second free end and a second connected end, and a transition portion. The transition portion has a first transition section connected to the first connected end, a second transition section connected to the second connected end, and an inflection between the first and second transition sections. An amplifier assembly incorporating the channel waveguide and a method of amplifying a light signal are also disclosed.
Claims31
A channel optical waveguide comprising:
- a substrate;
- a first cladding layer disposed on the substrate;
- a second cladding layer disposed within the first cladding layer;
- and
- an optical waveguide channel disposed within the second cladding layer,
- the optical waveguide channel including:
- a first generally circular spiraling portion having a first free end and a first connected end;
- a second generally circular spiraling portion having a second free end and a second connected end;
- and
- a transition portion disposed generally outside the second cladding layer but within the first cladding layer, the transition portion having:
- a first transition section connected to the first connected end;
- a second transition section connected to the second connected end;
- and
- an inflection between the first and second transition portions.
A channel waveguide optical amplifier assembly comprising:
- a waveguide optical amplifier including:
- a substrate;
- a first cladding layer disposed on the substrate;
- a second cladding layer disposed within the first cladding layer, the second cladding layer being generally annular and including a generally tangential portion;
- and
- an optical waveguide channel disposed within the second cladding layer, the optical waveguide channel including:
- a first generally circular spiraling portion having a first free end and a first connected end;
- a second generally circular spiraling portion having a second free end and a second connected end;
- and
- a transition portion having a first transition section connected to the first connected end, a second transition section connected to the second connected end, and an inflection between the first and second transition sections;
- and
- a pump laser disposed proximate the generally tangential portion and targeted to direct pump laser light to the second cladding layer through the generally tangential portion.
A method of amplifying light in an optical waveguide comprising:
- providing a channel optical waveguide including:
- a substrate;
- a first cladding layer disposed on the substrate;
- a second cladding layer disposed within the first cladding layer, the second cladding layer including a generally tangential portion;
- a rare earth element containing optical waveguide channel disposed within the second cladding layer, the optical waveguide channel including:
- a first generally circular spiraling portion having a first free end and a first connected end;
- a second generally circular spiraling portion having a second free end and a second connected end;
- and
- a transition portion having:
- a first transition section connected to the first connected end;
- a second transition section connected to the second connected end;
- and
- an inflection between the first and second transition sections;
- providing a pump laser disposed proximate the generally tangential portion and targeted to direct pump laser light to the second cladding layer through the generally tangential portion;
- transmitting signal light into the first free end of the first generally spiraling portion of the optical waveguide channel;
- and
- transmitting pump light into the second cladding layer through the generally tangential portion, the pump light exciting the rare earth element and amplifying the signal light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.