Optical source with mode reshaping
First Claim
1. An optical source comprising:
- a first optical reflector;
at least a second optical reflector aligned with said first optical reflector to define a resonating structure;
an optically active medium means for supporting multiple transverse modes, said optically active medium means disposed in said resonating structure;
an integrated optical mode filter structure in an optical path within said resonating structure, the integrated optical mode filter structure comprising;
mode reshaping means for reshaping said transverse modes, said mode reshaping means having a first port and a second port, said first port coupled to a matching multimode port of said optically active medium means; and
a waveguide means, said waveguide means coupled to said second port, said waveguide means for supporting a different mode structure than mode structure of said multimode laser exciter; and
means for extracting coherent optical energy from the optical path passing through said mode reshaping means.
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Abstract
A laser cavity configuration employs a mode reshaping structure in a solid state waveguide. The mode reshaping may be by means of an adiabatic taper. Polarization switching may be employed in connection with the mode reshaping to obtain a high output power in a single transverse spatial mode from an integrated external cavity multiple-mode diode laser device. The structure provides stabilization and rapid tuning of the frequency of the diode laser, as well as use substantially all of the available power of the diode laser operating multimode. Various configurations and combinations are described. An advantage is that an integrated structure can provide output of the laser in a waveguide with single mode for subsequent applications. The external cavity diode laser according to the invention is consistent with a planar manufacturing process such that high volume, low cost products can be achieved.
135 Citations
56 Claims
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1. An optical source comprising:
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a first optical reflector; at least a second optical reflector aligned with said first optical reflector to define a resonating structure; an optically active medium means for supporting multiple transverse modes, said optically active medium means disposed in said resonating structure; an integrated optical mode filter structure in an optical path within said resonating structure, the integrated optical mode filter structure comprising; mode reshaping means for reshaping said transverse modes, said mode reshaping means having a first port and a second port, said first port coupled to a matching multimode port of said optically active medium means; and a waveguide means, said waveguide means coupled to said second port, said waveguide means for supporting a different mode structure than mode structure of said multimode laser exciter; and means for extracting coherent optical energy from the optical path passing through said mode reshaping means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An optical source comprising:
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an array of first optical reflectors; an array of second optical reflectors aligned with corresponding ones of said first optical reflectors to define an array of resonating structures; an array of multimode laser exciters disposed in each one of said resonating structures; an array of integrated optical mode filter structures in optical paths defined by said resonating structures, the integrated optical mode filter structures each comprising; mode reshaping means having a first port and a second port, said first port coupled to a matching multimode port of a corresponding said multimode laser exciter; and a waveguide means, said waveguide means coupled to said second port, said waveguide means for supporting a different mode structure than mode structure of said corresponding optically active medium means; and means for extracting coherent optical energy from each one of said optical paths passing through each one of said mode reshaping means. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A mode-filtered optical source comprising:
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a multimode laser amplifier disposed in an optical path; and an integrated optical mode filter structure in said optical path, the integrated optical mode filter structure comprising; mode reshaping means having a first port and a second port, said first port coupled to a matching multimode port of said multimode laser amplifier; and a waveguide means, said waveguide coupled to said second port, said waveguide means for supporting a different mode structure than mode structure of said multimode laser amplifier.
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21. A frequency-converted diode laser source comprising:
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a wide-stripe multimode laser diode element; a ferroelectric harmonic generator having a waveguide for receiving light of a first frequency at an input end from said wide-stripe multimode laser diode element and emitting light of a second frequency at an output end thereof, said second frequency of light being a harmonic of said first frequency of light, and ferroelectric harmonic generator generating said light of said second frequency from said light of said first frequency; integrated mode reshaping means having a first port and a second port, said first port coupled to a matching multimode port of said multimode laser diode element, wherein said waveguide means is coupled to said second port, said waveguide means supporting a different mode structure than mode structure of said multimode laser diode element; said ferroelectric-harmonic generator also having a periodic reflector positioned along said waveguide and tuned to partially reflect light of said first frequency back toward and out of said input end; said laser diode element being optically coupled via said integrated mode reshaping means to said waveguide means of said ferroelectric harmonic generator; said laser diode element including active gain means for generating light of said first frequency, second cavity reflector associated with a back facet of said laser diode and a low reflection coated light emitting front facet through which light of said first frequency generated by said active gain means is directed toward said ferroelectric-harmonic generator; said periodic reflector in said ferrelectric-harmonic generator and said second cavity reflector associated with said back facet of said laser diode element establishing a resonant optical cavity for light of said first frequency such that feedback provided by said periodic reflector stabilizes the laser output to obtain efficient frequency conversion.
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22. A single-mode laser comprising within an optical cavity:
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an optical gain medium means for serving as a source of a multimode laser signal; a single-mode waveguide means for filtering said laser signal to a single transverse mode with minimal loss at a fundamental transverse mode, said waveguide means comprising an enhanced refractive index material region, said material region having a spatial dimension and refractive index profile transverse of an optical path supporting only a single transverse mode of a multimode laser signal; and means for coupling said laser signal source to said waveguide means with minimal reflection and minimal loss; wherein said gain medium means, said coupling means and said waveguide means are disposed between a first primary laser signal reflector and a second primary laser signal reflector. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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Specification