High power fiber chirped pulse amplification system utilizing telecom-type components

• US 7,113,327 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IMRA America Incorporated (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: IMRA America Incorporated (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Harter, Donald, Gu, Xinhua, Uehara, Yuzuru
• Primary Examiner(s): Hughes, Deandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOLDA, ERIC L
• Application Number:
  US10/606,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20040263949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 359/337.5, 455/600, 372/25
• US Class Current: 359/337.5
• 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 3/0085 Modulating the output, i.e. the laser beam is modulated outside the laser cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/06725 Fibre characterized by a specific dispersion, e.g. for pulse shaping in soliton lasers or for dispersion compensating [DCF]
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/06754 Fibre amplifiers H01S3/06708 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/094003 the pumped medium being a fibre
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0941 of a laser diode
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1608 erbium
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1618 ytterbium
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/2316 Cascaded amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/2333 Double-pass amplifiers

Abstract

An erbium fiber (or erbium-ytterbium) based chirped pulse amplification system is illustrated. The use of fiber amplifiers operating in the telecommunications window enables the implementation of telecommunications components and telecommunications compatible assembly procedures with superior mechanical stability.

Claims

1. A chirped pulse amplification system for a fiber optic system, the chirped pulse amplification system comprising:

a mode-locked laser;

a polarization-maintaining device coupled to an output of the mode-locked laser;

a pulse stretcher coupled to a first output of the polarization-maintaining device;

an amplifier coupled to the pulse stretcher; and

a first pulse selector coupled to a second output of the polarization-maintaining device.

2. The chirped pulse amplification system according to claim 1, wherein the pulse stretcher comprises:

a non-polarization-maintaining dispersion compensating fiber; and

a Faraday rotator mirror.

3. The chirped pulse amplification system according to claim 1, wherein the pulse stretcher comprises:

a non-polarization-maintaining dispersion shifted fiber; and

a Faraday rotator mirror.

4. The chirped pulse amplification system according to claim 1, wherein the pulse stretcher comprises:

a linearly chirped fiber grating; and

a Faraday rotator.

5. The chirped pulse amplification system according to claim 1, wherein the pulse stretcher comprises:

a non-linearly chirped fiber grating; and

a Faraday rotator.

6. The chirped pulse amplification system according to claim 1, wherein the chirped pulse amplification system comprises:

an erbium doped fiber amplifier, an erbium and ytterbium doped fiber amplifier, or a ytterbium doped fiber amplifier;

a wavelength division multiplexer; and

a diode pump.

7. The chirped pulse amplification system according to claim 1, wherein the first pulse selector comprises an electro-optic modulator or an electro-absorption modulator.

8. The chirped pulse amplification system according to claim 1, wherein the polarization-maintaining device comprises a polarization-maintaining beam router, wherein a fiber polarization axis orientation of the input and output fibers matches the orientation of a polarization beam splitter within the polarization-maintaining device.

9. The chirped pulse amplification system according to claim 1, wherein the polarization-maintaining device comprises:

a polarization-maintaining beam router, wherein a polarization axis orientation of the input and output fibers matches the orientation of a polarization beam splitter within the polarization-maintaining device; and

a Faraday rotator, a transmissive optical device, and a mirror disposed at a first port of the polarization-maintaining beam router.

10. The chirped pulse amplification system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second pulse selector coupled to an output of the first pulse selector; and

a synchronization controller that synchronizes the first pulse selector with the second pulse selector.

11. The chirped pulse amplification system according to claim 10, wherein the second pulse selector comprises an electro-optic modulator or an electro-absorption modulator.

12. The chirped pulse amplification system according to claim 1, wherein the polarization-maintaining device comprises:

a polarization-maintaining beam router, wherein a polarization axis orientation of the input and output fibers matches the orientation of a polarization beam splitter within the polarization-maintaining device; and

a Faraday rotator mirror disposed at a first port of the polarization-maintaining beam router.

13. A chirped pulse amplification system for a fiber optic system operating at approximately 1550 nanometers, the amplifier comprising:

a mode-locked laser;

a polarization-maintaining device coupled to an output of the mode-locked laser;

a pulse stretcher coupled to a first output of the polarization-maintaining device;

a first amplifier coupled to the pulse stretcher;

a pulse selector coupled to the first amplifier; and

a second amplifier coupled through a beam splitter to a second output of the polarization-maintaining device.