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US 7,340,140 B1Granted
Er/Yb double clad photonic crystal fiber
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsYuanjian Xu, Francis S. Auricchio, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention, a photonic crystal fiber apparatus includes a first cladding layer and a second cladding layer. The first cladding layer includes a plurality of photonic crystal rods disposed in an array along a longitudinal axis. The array has a separation between a first portion of the rods that defines a core region. A second portion of the photonic crystal rods is doped with two rare earth elements. The first cladding layer is configured to propagate signal light. The second cladding layer provides physical support for the plurality of photonic crystal rods and is configured to propagate pump light.
Claims46
A photonic crystal fiber, comprising:
- a first cladding layer configured to propagate signal light, the first cladding layer including a plurality of photonic crystal rods disposed in an array along a longitudinal axis, the array having a separation between a first predetermined portion of the rods defining a core region, a second predetermined portion of the rods being doped with two predetermined rare earth elements and having a first refractive index, wherein the remaining photonic crystal rods have a second refractive index that is matched to the first refractive index by one of raising and lowering a doping material concentration in the remaining photonic crystal rods;
- and
- a second cladding layer providing physical support for and surrounding the first cladding layer of the plurality of photonic crystal rods, the second cladding layer being configured to propagate pump light.
A photonic crystal fiber comprising:
- a first cladding layer configured to propagate signal light, the first cladding layer including a plurality of photonic crystal rods disposed in an array along a longitudinal axis, the array having a separation between a first predetermined portion of the rods defining a core region and a second predetermined portion of the rods being doped with two predetermined rare earth elements;
- an array background region surrounding and supporting the plurality of photonic crystal rods, the array background region having a second index of refraction;
- a second cladding layer configured to propagate pump light, the second cladding layer providing physical support for and surrounding the first cladding layer of the plurality of photonic crystal rods;
- and
- wherein the photonic crystal rods have a first index of refraction and the second cladding layer has a third index of refraction, the first index of refraction being higher than the second index of refraction, the first index of refraction being about equal to the third index of refraction.
2 more elements
An optical system, comprising:
- a photonic crystal fiber having a first end and a second end;
- a first light pump configured to provide a first pump light beam;
- a first optical coupler configured to couple the first pump light beam and a signal light beam into the photonic crystal fiber first end, the photonic crystal fiber second end emitting an amplified signal light beam as an output beam;
- wherein the photonic crystal fiber comprises:
- a first cladding layer configured to propagate signal light, the first cladding layer including a plurality of photonic crystal rods disposed in an array along a longitudinal axis, the array having a separation between a first predetermined portion of the crystal rods defining a core region, a second predetermined portion of the photonic crystal rods being doped with two predetermined rare earth elements and having a first refractive index, wherein the remaining photonic crystal rods have a second refractive index that is matched to the first refractive index by one of raising and lowering a doping material concentration in the remaining photonic crystal rods;
- and
- a second cladding layer providing physical support for and surrounding the first cladding layer, the second cladding layer being configured to confine pump light.
4 more elements
A method of using a photonic crystal fiber, the method comprising:
- coupling a signal light beam to a first end of the photonic crystal fiber and a pump light beam to one of the first end of the photonic crystal fiber and the second end of the photonic crystal fiber, the photonic crystal fiber having a core region, an inner cladding layer surrounding the core region and having a first plurality of photonic crystal rods doped with erbium (Er) and ytterbium (Yb) atoms and having a first refractive index and a second plurality of photonic crystal rods of a second refractive index that is matched to the first refractive index by one of raising and lowering a doping material concentration in the second plurality of photonic crystal rods, and an outer cladding layer surrounding the inner cladding layer;
- absorbing the combined light beam energy along the length of the photonic crystal fiber by a plurality of Yb atoms present within the photonic crystal fiber causing excitation of the Yb atoms;
- transferring the absorbed energy in the excited Yb atoms to Er atoms present within the photonic crystal fiber;
- confining an amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) falling within a gain bandwidth of Yb to the outer cladding layer;
- and
- confining the signal light and an Er ASE falling within a gain bandwidth of Er to the inner cladding region.
3 more elements
An optical system comprising:
- a photonic crystal fiber having a first end and a second end;
- a first light pump configured to provide a first pump light beam;
- a first optical coupler configured to couple the first pump light beam and a signal light beam into the photonic crystal fiber first end, the photonic crystal fiber second end emitting an amplified signal light beam as an output beam;
- wherein the photonic crystal fiber comprises:
- a first cladding layer configured to propagate signal light, the first cladding layer including a plurality of photonic crystal rods disposed in an array along a longitudinal axis and defining a core region, with the core region being doped with at least two rare earth elements and the photonic crystal rods being doped with at least one element;
- an array background region surrounding and supporting the plurality of photonic crystal rods, the array background region having a second index of refraction;
- a second cladding layer configured to confine pump light, the second cladding layer providing physical support for and surrounding the first cladding layer;
- and
- wherein the photonic crystal rods have a first index of refraction and the second cladding layer has a third index of refraction, the first index of refraction being higher than the second index of refraction and about equal to the third index of refraction.
6 more elements
A method of using a photonic crystal fiber, the method comprising
- coupling a signal light beam to a first end of the photonic crystal fiber and a pump light beam to one of the first end of the photonic crystal fiber and the second end of the photonic crystal fiber, the photonic crystal fiber having a core region doped with a predetermined ratio of erbium (Er) and ytterbium (Yb) atoms, an inner cladding layer surrounding the core region and including a first array of photonic crystal rods of a first refractive index and an array background region of a second refractive index surrounding and supporting the first array of photonic crystal rods, and an outer cladding layer of a third index of refraction surrounding the inner cladding layer, with the first index of refraction being higher than the second index of refraction and about equal to the third index of refraction;
- absorbing the combined light beam energy along the length of the photonic crystal fiber by a plurality of the Yb atoms present within the photonic crystal fiber causing excitation of the Yb atoms;
- transferring the absorbed energy in the excited Yb atoms to the Er atoms present within the photonic crystal fiber;
- confining an amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) falling within a gain bandwidth of Yb to the outer cladding layer;
- and
- confining the signal light and an Er ASE falling within a gain bandwidth of Er to the inner cladding region.
3 more elements
A photonic crystal fiber comprising
- a first cladding layer configured to propagate signal light, the first cladding layer including a plurality of photonic crystal rods disposed in an array along a longitudinal axis and defining a core region, with the core region being doped with at least two rare earth elements and the photonic crystal rods being doped with at least one element;
- an array background region surrounding and supporting the plurality of photonic crystal rods, the array background region having a second index of refraction;
- a second cladding layer configured to propagate pump light, the second cladding layer providing physical support for and surrounding the first cladding layer of the plurality of photonic crystal rods;
- and
- wherein the photonic crystal rods have a first index of refraction and the second cladding layer has a third index of refraction, the first index of refraction being higher than the second index of refraction and approximately equal to the third index of refraction.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.