Post amplification optical isolator
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a pulse source configured to provide a laser pulse;
one or more pulse amplifiers configured to amplify the laser pulse to generate an amplified laser pulse;
a delivery device configured to deliver the amplified laser pulse to a target material; and
an optical isolator configured to prevent light from the target material from reaching any of the one or more pulse amplifiers.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Optical systems configured for both changing the length of a laser pulse and operating as an optical isolator are disclosed. In some embodiments, optical isolation is achieve contemporaneously with laser pulse expansion or compression by using a grating based compressor or expander as one of the polarization elements of the optical isolator. In some embodiments, optical isolation is achieved contemporaneously with laser pulse expansion or compression by using a mode converter and a Bragg fiber as one of the polarization elements of the optical isolator. In some embodiments, a sub-wavelength polarizer including magnetic garnet is included in the optical isolator. In some embodiments, an optical isolator is disposed between a final pulse amplifier and a target material in order to prevent light resulting from the delivery of an amplified laser pulse to the target material from traveling back to the final pulse amplifier.
184 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a pulse source configured to provide a laser pulse; one or more pulse amplifiers configured to amplify the laser pulse to generate an amplified laser pulse; a delivery device configured to deliver the amplified laser pulse to a target material; and an optical isolator configured to prevent light from the target material from reaching any of the one or more pulse amplifiers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 7, 9)
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4. A system comprising:
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a pulse source configured to provide a laser pulse; one or more pulse amplifiers configured to amplify the laser pulse to generate an amplified laser pulse; a delivery device configured to deliver the amplified laser pulse to a target material; and an optical isolator configured to prevent light from the target material from reaching any of the one or more pulse amplifiers, and to compress the amplified laser pulse.
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5. A system comprising:
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a pulse source configured to provide a laser pulse; one or more pulse amplifiers configured to amplify the laser pulse to generate an amplified laser pulse; a delivery device configured to deliver the amplified laser pulse to a target material; an optical isolator configured to prevent light from the target material from reaching any of the one or more pulse amplifiers and to prevent light resulting from the compressed amplified laser pulse from reaching any of the one or more pulse amplifiers; and a pulse compressor configured to compress the amplified laser pulse.
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6. A system comprising:
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a pulse source configured to provide a laser pulse; one or more pulse amplifiers configured to amplify the laser pulse to generate an amplified laser pulse; an optical isolator configured to prevent light from a target material from reaching any of the one or more pulse amplifiers; and a delivery device configured to deliver the amplified laser pulse to the target material and including part of the optical isolator.
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8. A system comprising:
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a pulse source configured to provide a laser pulse; one or more pulse amplifiers configured to amplify the laser pulse to generate an amplified laser pulse; a delivery device configured to deliver the amplified laser pulse to a target material and to deliver the amplified laser pulse to an interior of a body; and an optical isolator configured to prevent light front the target material from reaching any of the one or more pulse amplifiers, at least part of the optical isolator being configured to enter the body.
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10. A system comprising:
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a pulse source configured to provide a laser pulse; a pulse expander configured to expand the laser pulse provided by the pulse source to produce an expanded laser pulse; a pulse amplifier configured to amplify the expanded laser pulse to produce an amplified laser pulse; a pulse compressor configured to compress the amplified laser pulse to produce a compressed laser pulse; and an optical isolator configured to prevent light resulting from the compressed laser pulse from reaching the pulse amplifier. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 15)
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14. A system comprising:
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a pulse source configured to provide a laser pulse; a pulse expander configured to expand the laser pulse provided by the pulse source to produce an expanded laser pulse; a pulse amplifier configured to amplify the expanded laser pulse to produce an amplified laser pulse; a pulse compressor configured to compress the amplified laser pulse to produce a compressed laser pulse; and an optical isolator configured to prevent light resulting from the compressed laser pulse from reaching the pulse amplifier, wherein the pulse compressor includes parts of the optical isolator.
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16. A method of modifying a target material, the method comprising:
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generating a laser pulse using a pulse source; amplifying the laser pulse using one or more pulse amplifiers to generate an amplified laser pulse; delivering the amplified laser pulse to a target material; and using an optical isolator to prevent light resulting from the amplified laser pulse from reaching any of the one or more pulse amplifiers. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification