High efficiency, high power cryogenic laser system
AssigneeNorthrop Grumman Corporation
InventorsJoshua Elliott Rothenberg, Stephen John Brosnan, Paul Thomas Epp
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fiber laser system and a related method for its use, in which one or more fiber laser amplifiers are cryogenically cooled and optimized to operate at a desirably high efficiency. Versions of the laser system using either thulium or erbium doped fibers are disclosed. In a high power version of the system, the outputs of multiple fiber lasers are coherently combined. Cooling by a selected liquefied gas, such as nitrogen, is applied to the fiber laser amplifiers and, optionally, to pump diodes and to optical elements used to combine the outputs of the fiber laser amplifiers.
Claims15
A high power cryogenic fiber laser system capable of operation at high efficiency levels, the system comprising:
- a plurality of fiber laser amplifiers;
- a master oscillator for generating an input optical signal at a desired wavelength;
- means for coupling the input optical signal to the plurality of fiber laser amplifiers;
- a plurality of laser pumps;
- means for coupling power from the laser pumps into the plurality of fiber laser amplifiers;
- means for cryogenically cooling the plurality of fiber laser amplifiers, resulting in enhanced optical slope efficiency;
- and
- means for optically combining the outputs of the plurality of fiber laser amplifiers, to produce a single coherent optical output.
A method for generating a high power laser beam from a cryogenic fiber laser system capable of operation at high efficiency levels, the method comprising:
- providing a plurality of fiber laser amplifiers;
- generating in a master oscillator an input optical signal at a desired wavelength;
- coupling the input optical signal to the plurality of fiber laser amplifiers;
- powering a plurality of laser pumps;
- coupling power from the laser pumps into the plurality of fiber laser amplifiers;
- cryogenically cooling the plurality of fiber laser amplifiers, resulting in enhanced optical slope efficiency;
- and
- optically combining the outputs of the plurality of fiber laser amplifiers, to produce a single coherent optical output.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.