Evanescent-field optical amplifiers and lasers

• US 7,170,910 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: National Chiao Tung University (Government of The Republic of China)
• Original Assignee: National Chiao Tung University (Government of The Republic of China)
• Inventors: Lai, Yinchieh, Chi, Sien, Chen, Nan-Kuang, Tseng, Shiao-Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Hughes; Deandra M.
• Application Number:
  US11/327,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20060139741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 372/6
• US Class Current: 372/6
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/06708 Constructional details of the fibre, e.g. compositions, cross-section, shape or tapering optical fibres as passive waveguides G02B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/06729 Peculiar transverse fibre profile
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/094003 the pumped medium being a fibre

Abstract

An optical amplifier and a laser generator based on the fiber side-polished technology, having a high pumping efficiency, a low noise figure and a small footprint are provided in this application. The optical amplifier and the laser, which have a very long effective interaction length in conjunction with highly doped Erbium glass attached to its surface and an addition of a slanted fiber grating inscribed in the guiding core at the polished region can spatially separate the signal and pump power to simultaneously improve the pumping efficiency and optimize the penetrated depth of the signal evanescent-field. The spontaneous emission is kept from being amplified and therefore a high quality amplified signal is produced.

Claims

1. A laser, comprising:

at least a fiber having a guiding core and a shell cladding said guiding core, wherein said shell has an evanescent-field area;

at least a first grating located at a first position of said guiding core, wherein said first position corresponds to said evanescent-field area;

a second grating and a third grating located in front of and in rear of said first grating, respectively; and

an optical gain medium having a dopant of rare-earth ions and attached to said evanescent-field area,

wherein when a first pumping light beam passes through said second grating, said first pumping light beam is coupled into said optical gain medium by said first grating to excite said dopant of rare-earth ions for generating an optical gain; and

a resonated light beam is generated and repeatedly reflected between said second grating and said third grating and an energy of said resonated light beam is repeatedly amplified thereby.

2. The laser according to claim 1, wherein when said resonated light beam propagates to said third grating, a specific ratio of said optical gain is able to pass through said third grating to generate a laser.

3. The laser according to claim 1 further comprising a fourth grating having a period different from that of said first grating, wherein an angle is formed between said fourth grating and said first grating, thereby a second pumping light beam being coupled into said optical gain medium for amplifying said optical gain.

4. The laser according to claim 3, wherein said first grating and said fourth grating are ones selected from a group consisting of a Long Period Grating, a Blazed Bragg Grating and a Super Structure Grating.

5. The laser according to claim 1, wherein said second grating is one of a Fiber Bragg Grating and a Chirped Grating.

6. The laser according to claim 5, wherein said third grating is one of a Fiber Bragg Grating and a Chirped Grating.

7. The laser according to claim 6, wherein said second grating and said third grating are located at a second position of said guiding core.