Apparatus and Method For Tunable Frequency Parametric Down-Conversion Of High Peak Power Lasers Through Dual Chirp Pulse Mixing

• US 20200136335A1
• Filed: 10/24/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Government Of The United States Of America, As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy
• Original Assignee: The Government Of The United States Of America, As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy
• Inventors: Helle, Michael H.
• Granted Patent: US 11,133,637 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1819 Plural gratings positioned on the same surface, e.g. array of gratings plural diffractive elements positioned sequentially along the optical path G02B27/4272
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/39 for parametric generation or amplification of light, infrared or ultraviolet waves
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/392 Parametric amplification
• 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 3/0071 Beam steering, e.g. whereby a mirror outside the cavity is present to change the beam direction
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0085 Modulating the output, i.e. the laser beam is modulated outside the laser cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0092 Nonlinear frequency conversion, e.g. second harmonic generation [SHG] or sum- or difference-frequency generation outside the laser cavity nonlinear frequency conversion per se G02F1/35
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1106 Mode locking

Abstract

A laser architecture for selectively producing short high-energy laser pulses having octave-spanning, continuous tunability. Two oppositely chirped pulses are used in combination with a pair of tunable pulse stretcher/compressors to produce a short, high-energy, tunable, broadband pulse.

Claims

1. A method for selectively producing a short high-energy laser pulse having a predetermined wavelength and a predetermined chirp, comprising:

directing an initial laser pulse into a splitter, which splits off a portion of energy from the initial pulse to form a first signal pulse, the remaining energy from the initial laser pulse forming a pump pulse;

inputting the first signal pulse into a tunable pulse stretcher, the tunable pulse stretcher controllably converting the first signal pulse into a second signal pulse having a predetermined wavelength and a predetermined positive or negative chirp;

inputting the second signal pulse and the pump pulse into a pulse amplifier, the pulse amplifier combining the second signal pulse and the pump pulse into a single amplified pulse;

inputting the amplified pulse into a tunable pulse compressor, the tunable pulse compressor controllably converting the amplified pulse into a high energy output signal pulse having a predetermined wavelength and a predetermined positive chirp.