Method for producing a tunable erbium fiber laser
First Claim
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1. A tunable fiber laser comprising:
- an optical fiber laser cavity including a temperature sensitive element for establishing a laser wavelength;
a heating element mounted adjacent said temperature sensitive element; and
circuit control means including said heating element for adjusting the heating element temperature to tune the laser wavelength established by said temperature sensitive element.
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Abstract
A laser cavity is formed from two mirrors and an erbium fiber gain medium. One mirror is a dichroic mirror and the other is formed by a grating. The grating period determines the wavelength of light that is reflected, and can be changed by physically stretching or constricting the substrate to which the grating is attached. In one embodiment, the laser is tuned by adjusting the dimensions of the grating using a heating element. In another embodiment, the dimensions of the grating are adjusted using a piezoelectric ceramic material to which the grating is mounted.
140 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A tunable fiber laser comprising:
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an optical fiber laser cavity including a temperature sensitive element for establishing a laser wavelength; a heating element mounted adjacent said temperature sensitive element; and circuit control means including said heating element for adjusting the heating element temperature to tune the laser wavelength established by said temperature sensitive element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A tunable fiber laser comprising:
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a piezoelectric substrate an optical fiber laser cavity including a grating for establishing a laser wavelength, wherein said grating is bonded to said piezoelectric substrate; and control means for applying an electric field to said piezoelectric substrate, thereby adjusting a dimension of said grating to tune the wavelength of said optical fiber laser. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification