OPTICAL SCANNING AND IMAGING SYSTEMS BASED ON DUAL PULSED LASER SYSTEMS
First Claim
1. A coherent dual scanning laser system (CDSL), comprising:
- two passively modelocked fiber oscillators, said oscillators configured to operate at slightly different repetition rates, such that a difference δ
fr in repetition rates is small compared to the values fr1 and fr2 of the repetition rates of said oscillators;
a non-linear frequency conversion section optically connected to each oscillator, said section comprising a non-linear optical element generating a frequency converted spectral output having a spectral bandwidth and a frequency comb comprising harmonics of said oscillator repetition rates.
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Abstract
The invention relates to scanning pulsed laser systems for optical imaging. Coherent dual scanning laser systems (CDSL) are disclosed and some applications thereof. Various alternatives for implementation are illustrated, including highly integrated configurations. In at least one embodiment a coherent dual scanning laser system (CDSL) includes two passively modelocked fiber oscillators. The oscillators are configured to operate at slightly different repetition rates, such that a difference δfr in repetition rates is small compared to the values fr1 and fr2 of the repetition rates of the oscillators. The CDSL system also includes a non-linear frequency conversion section optically connected to each oscillator. The section includes a non-linear optical element generating a frequency converted spectral output having a spectral bandwidth and a frequency comb comprising harmonics of the oscillator repetition rates. A CDSL may be arranged in an imaging system for one or more of optical imaging, microscopy, micro-spectroscopy and/or THz imaging.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A coherent dual scanning laser system (CDSL), comprising:
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two passively modelocked fiber oscillators, said oscillators configured to operate at slightly different repetition rates, such that a difference δ
fr in repetition rates is small compared to the values fr1 and fr2 of the repetition rates of said oscillators;a non-linear frequency conversion section optically connected to each oscillator, said section comprising a non-linear optical element generating a frequency converted spectral output having a spectral bandwidth and a frequency comb comprising harmonics of said oscillator repetition rates. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 29, 30)
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15. A coherent dual scanning laser system comprising:
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two passively modelocked fiber oscillators, said oscillators configured to operate at slightly different repetition rates, such that a difference δ
fr in repetition rates is small compared to the values fr1 and fr2 of the repetition rates of the two oscillators;a non-linear frequency conversion section optically connected to each oscillator, said section comprising a non-linear optical element generating a frequency converted spectral output having a spectral bandwidth and a frequency comb structure having a frequency separation equivalent to said oscillator repetition rates, said nonlinear frequency conversion section producing spectral output substantially broader than the spectral output from each oscillator. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27)
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25. A system for imaging in the THz spectral range comprising:
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a coherent dual scanning laser system (CDSL) comprising two passively modelocked fiber oscillators, said modelocked oscillators configured to operate at slightly different repetition rates, such that a difference δ
fr in repetition rates is small compared to the values fr1 and fr2 of the repetition rates of said oscillators;a material emitting THz radiation in response to an output of said CDSL; a detector responsive to said THz radiation.
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26. A coherent dual scanning laser system comprising:
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two passively modelocked oscillators generating at least two trains of short optical pulses, said oscillators configured to operate at slightly different repetition rates, such that said difference in repetition rates δ
fr is small compared to the values fr1 and fr2 of the repetition rates of said oscillators;a beam combiner for spatially combining said trains of short optical pulses to propagate along a common optical path downstream of said beam combiner; a non-linear optical element for spectrally broadening said at least one train of said short optical pulses propagating along said common optical path; a dual arm interferometer configured with different arm lengths so as to detect interference between said pulse trains when the pulses are not temporally overlapping in time prior to entering said interferometer.
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28. A coherent dual scanning laser system comprising:
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two passively modelocked fiber oscillators generating two separate trains of short optical pulses, said oscillators adjusted to operate at slightly different repetition rates, such that a difference δ
fr in repetition rates is small compared to the values fr1 and fr2 of the repetition rates of said oscillators;a feedback system for stabilizing the difference in the carrier envelope offset frequencies of the two lasers, said feedback system comprising a single-frequency laser; a beam combiner for spatially combining said trains of short optical pulses to propagate along a common optical path downstream of said beam combiner; a non-linear optical element for spectrally broadening said at least one train of said short optical pulses propagating along said common optical path; a dual arm interferometer configured with different arm lengths so as to detect interference between said pulse trains when the pulses are not temporally overlapping in time prior to entering said interferometer.
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Specification