Fiber-optic amplification of light pulses

• US 20040190119A1
• Filed: 02/25/2004
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TOPTICA Photonics AG
• Original Assignee: TOPTICA Photonics AG
• Inventors: Tauser, Florian, Leitenstorfer, Alfred
• Granted Patent: US 7,224,518 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/333
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2301/08 Generation of pulses with special temporal shape or frequency spectrum
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0057 Temporal shaping, e.g. pulse compression, frequency chirping soliton generation and propagation G02F1/3513, H01S3/063 and H01S3/108
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/06725 Fibre characterized by a specific dispersion, e.g. for pulse shaping in soliton lasers or for dispersion compensating [DCF]
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/06754 Fibre amplifiers H01S3/06708 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/08004 incorporating a dispersive element, e.g. a prism for wavelength selection H01S3/0811, H01S3/08022 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1608 erbium
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/2308 Amplifier arrangements, e.g. MOPA
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/2383 Parallel arrangements

Abstract

A device for amplifying light pulses has an optical stretcher, in which the light pulses of a pulsed laser light source are temporally stretched, and an optically pumped amplifier fiber, in which the light pulses are amplified and, at the same time, temporally compressed. In order to improve such a system with regard to the pulse duration and the pulse energy that can be achieved, the amplifier fiber has a positive group velocity dispersion, whereby the amplifier fiber has non-linear optical properties, so that the optical spectrum of the light pulses is broadened during the amplification process, taking advantage of non-linear self-phase modulation.

Claims

1. A device for amplifying light pulses comprising:

(a) a pulsed laser light source for producing light pulses having an optical spectrum;

(b) an optical stretcher for temporally stretching the light pulses of said pulsed laser light source; and

(c) an optically pumped amplifier fiber for amplifying and temporally compressing the light pulses;

wherein said amplifier fiber has a positive group velocity dispersion and non-linear optical properties so that the optical spectrum of the light pulses is broadened during amplification of the light pulses by taking advantage of non-linear self-phase modulation.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said optical stretcher precedes said amplifier fiber.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said optical stretcher comprises an optical fiber having a negative group velocity dispersion.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said pulsed laser light source produces fiber-coupled femtosecond light pulses having a pulse energy of up to 100 picojoules.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein amplified light pulses from said amplifier fiber pass to an optical compressor for further temporal compression.

6. The device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one laser diode for optical pumping of said amplifier fiber.

7. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a highly non-linear optical fiber, wherein amplified light pulses are coupled into said optical fiber for generating an optical frequency comb comprising more than one optical octave.

8. The device according to claim 7, further comprising an interferometer following said highly non-linear optical fiber for characterizing the optical frequency comb.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein an output signal from said interferometer is passed to said pulsed laser light source for active stabilization.

10. The device according to claim 9, further comprising a second optical amplifier for receiving part of the light pulses emitted by said pulsed laser light source.