Extreme chirped/stretched pulsed amplification and laser
AssigneeResearch Foundation of the University of Central Florida
InventorsPeter J. Delfyett, Kyungbum Kim, Bojan Resan
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Abstract
Methods, devices and systems for generating ultrashort optical linear chirped pulses with very high power by amplifying the pulses so that their temporal duration is longer than the storage time of the amplifying medium. The additional gain factor is related to the ratio of the storage time to the stretched pulse. A preferred embodiment connects a mode locked laser source that generates optical pulses whose duration is stretched with a chirped fiber Bragg grating. Embodiments include methods, devices and systems causing an extreme chirped pulse amplifier (XCPA) effect in an oscillator.
Claims31
A method of generating ultrashort optical pulses having increased optical power, comprising the steps of:
- generating optical pulses from a source;
- stretching duration of each of the optical pulses to be greater than energy storage time of an optical amplifier;
- amplifying the stretched optical pulse with the optical amplifier;
- and
- compressing the optical pulse, wherein optical power of the compressed optical pulse is increased.
A method of increasing power in optical pulses, comprising the steps of:
- generating optical pulses from a source;
- increasing the temporal duration of the optical pulses to be greater than the storage time of an amplifying medium connected to the optical pulses;
- and
- amplifying the optical pulses by the amplifying medium, wherein power in the generated optical pulses in substantially increased.
An extreme chirped pulse amplifier (XCPA), comprising:
- means for generating optical pulses;
- means for stretching temporal duration of the optical pulses to be greater than storage time of an amplifying medium;
- means for amplifying by the amplifying medium the stretched optical pulses;
- and
- means for compressing the stretched optical pulse, wherein higher power optical pulses are generated.
A method of generating a highly precise high frequency timing signal, comprising the steps of:
- generating optical pulses from a source;
- stretching duration of each of the optical pulses to be greater than energy storage time of an optical amplifier;
- amplifying the stretched optical pulse with the optical amplifier;
- compressing the optical pulse;
- and
- coupling the optical pulse to an output, wherein the optical pulse is provided as a timing signal.
An extreme chirped pulse amplification (XCPA) laser oscillator, comprising:
- a means for generating optical pulses;
- means for stretching temporal duration of the optical pulses to be greater than storage time of an amplifying medium;
- means for amplifying by amplifying medium the stretched optical pulses;
- means for compressing the stretched optical pulses;
- and
- means for coupling optical pulses to an output, wherein high frequency high precision optical pulses are provided.
A method of generating ultrashort optical pulses having increased optical power, comprising the steps of:
- generating optical pulses with high optical energy and a linear chirp;
- stretching the duration of each optical pulse to be greater than the energy storage time of an optical amplifier;
- amplifying the stretched optical pulse with said optical amplifier;
- compressing the optical pulse, wherein the optical power of compressed optical pulse is increased.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.