Modular fiber-based chirped pulse amplification system
First Claim
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1. A pulse laser system composed of a plurality of replaceable modules, comprising;
- an ultrafast oscillator module;
a nonlinear amplifier module receiving the oscillator output and amplifying the signal while broadening its spectral width;
an isolator module for eliminating feedback into the oscillator;
a stretcher module for temporally stretching the output of said isolator/polarizer oscillator;
a linear pre-amplifier module for amplifying the stretched output;
a down-counter module for controlling the repetition rate of the laser system;
a power amplifier module for amplifying the output of the down-counter module; and
a compressor for temporally shortening the output of said power amplifier module.
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Abstract
A modular ultrafast pulse laser system is constructed of individually pre-tested components manufactured as modules. The individual modules include an oscillator, pre-amplifier and power amplifier stages, a non-linear amplifier, and a stretcher and compressor. The individual modules can typically be connected by means of simple fiber splices.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A pulse laser system composed of a plurality of replaceable modules, comprising;
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an ultrafast oscillator module;
a nonlinear amplifier module receiving the oscillator output and amplifying the signal while broadening its spectral width;
an isolator module for eliminating feedback into the oscillator;
a stretcher module for temporally stretching the output of said isolator/polarizer oscillator;
a linear pre-amplifier module for amplifying the stretched output;
a down-counter module for controlling the repetition rate of the laser system;
a power amplifier module for amplifying the output of the down-counter module; and
a compressor for temporally shortening the output of said power amplifier module. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14)
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2. A pulse laser system composed of a plurality of replaceable modules, comprising;
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an ultrafast oscillator module;
a stretcher module for temporally stretching the output of said oscillator module;
a spectral filter module placed before or after said stretcher module;
an amplifier module receiving the stretched output and amplifying the signal;
an isolator module;
a linear pre-amplifier module for amplifying the signal;
a down-counter module for controlling the repetition rate of the laser system;
a power amplifier module for amplifying the output of the down-counter module; and
a compressor for temporally shortening the output of said power amplifier module. - View Dependent Claims (3, 13)
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4. A pulse laser system, comprising the following components:
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a signal source;
a stretcher for temporally stretching an output of said source;
a fiber amplifier; and
a compressor for recompressing an output of said amplifier; and
an AOM for selecting output pulses from said amplifier;
wherein each of said components is provided as a pre-tested module, and said system is constructed by connecting said modules via simple fiber splices.
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15. An all-fiber chirped pulse amplifier system composed of a plurality of modular optical subassemblies, comprising;
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at least an oscillator module, a stretcher module, an amplifier module and a compressor module, each subject to separate assembly and test, and coupled into the system by a fiber splice;
tap units selectively located between ones of said modules for test, monitoring or feedback; and
means between selected ones of said modules for improving fidelity of the polarization state.
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16. A pulse laser system, comprising;
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a signal source;
a stretcher for temporally stretching an output of said source;
a fiber amplifier; and
a compressor for recompressing an output of said amplifier; and
an AOM for selecting output pulses from said amplifier and serving as a bandwidth filter.
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17. A pulse laser system, comprising;
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a signal source;
a stretcher for temporally stretching an output of said source;
at least one fiber amplifier stage; and
a compressor for recompressing an output of a final amplifier stage; and
wherein a length of one of said amplifier stages is selected to remove ASE at the lasing wavelength, and said compressor serving as a spectral filter. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 25)
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21. A chirped-pulse amplification system, comprising;
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a signal source;
a stretcher module;
at least one amplifier stage, including a non-linear amplifier module and a linear amplifier module;
a compressor module; and
wherein said non-linear amplifier broadens the spectrum of the signal by at least a factor of 2 by self-phase modulation, and said linear amplifier serves as a spectral filter by a mechanism including at least gain narrowing. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A chirped-pulse amplification system, comprising;
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an ultrafast oscillator signal source;
at least one amplifier stage;
a compressor module; and
at least one isolator module between said oscillator and a first of said amplifier stages for providing at least 35 dB isolation therebetween.
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24. A chirped-pulse amplification system, comprising;
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an ultrafast oscillator module;
at least one amplifier module;
a down-counter module;
a compressor module; and
means between selected ones of said modules for improving fidelity of the polarization state. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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26. An active stabilization system for a fiber amplification system, comprising:
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a power amplifier including a gain fiber, a pump source for said power amplifier, means for directing a portion of the pump light from said pump source into a monitor fiber identical to or equivalent to said gain fiber, so as to clone a temperature dependent spectrum of said gain fiber; and
feedback means for controlling a parameter of said pump source so as to match the pump source wavelength with an absorption spectrum of the gain fiber. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A chirped-pulse amplification system, comprising;
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a signal source;
at least one amplifier module;
a compressor module; and
an AOM module located within said amplification system and operating as a pulse deflector, said deflector introducing spatial dispersion; and
said compressor module comprising a bulk grating compressor compensating for said spatial dispersion. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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Specification