Method for generating a linear single polarization output beam

• US 7,496,244 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2006
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Li, Ming-Jun, Nolan, Daniel A., Berkey, George E., Zenteno, Luis A., Walton, Donnell T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Font; Frank G
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEPISTO, RYAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/498,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20090003753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 385/11, 359/341.3
• US Class Current: 385/1
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2201/34 doped with rare earth metals, i.e. with Sc, Y or lanthanides, e.g. for laser-amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2203/14 Non-solid, i.e. hollow products, e.g. hollow clad or with core-clad interface
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2203/30 Polarisation maintaining [PM], i.e. birefringent products, e.g. with elliptical core, by use of stress rods, "PANDA" type fibres
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2205/08 Sub-atmospheric pressure applied, e.g. vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2205/10 pressurised
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 37/01217 for making preforms of polarisation-maintaining optical fibres polarisation-maintaining optical fibres per se G02B6/105
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 37/01225 Means for changing or stabilising the shape, e.g. diameter, of tubes or rods in general, e.g. collapsing
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 37/02781 Hollow fibres, e.g. holey fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02 Optical fibres with cladding with or without a coating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0281 Graded index region forming part of the central core segment, e.g. alpha profile, triangular, trapezoidal core G02B6/0288, G02B6/0286 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/03627 arranged - +
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/03655 arranged - + +
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/03694 Multiple layers differing in properties other than the refractive index, e.g. attenuation, diffusion, stress properties
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/105 having optical polarisation effects
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/067 Fibre lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/06729 Peculiar transverse fibre profile
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0675 Resonators including a grating structure, e.g. distributed Bragg reflectors [DBR] or distributed feedback [DFB] fibre lasers

Abstract

A method for generating a linear single-polarization output beam comprises providing an optically active linearly birefringent and linearly dichroic fiber for propagating light and having a single polarization wavelength range and a gain bandwidth; optically pumping the optically active linearly birefringent and linearly dichroic fiber for obtaining fluorescence within the gain bandwidth; and aligning the single-polarization wavelength range to overlap a desired spectral region of the gain profile.

Claims

1. A method for generating a linear single-polarization output beam, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an optically active linearly birefringent and linearly dichroic fiber for propagating light and having a single polarization wavelength range and a gain bandwidth;

optically pumping the optically active linearly birefringent and linearly dichroic fiber for obtaining fluorescence within the gain bandwidth; and

aligning the single-polarization wavelength range to overlap a desired spectral region of the gain bandwidth.

2. A method for generating a linear single-polarization output beam, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an optically active linearly birefringent and linearly dichroic fiber for propagating light and having a single polarization wavelength range and a gain bandwidth, the single-polarization wavelength range overlapping a desired spectral region of the gain bandwidth, the fiber having a polarization dependent loss equal to or greater than 3 dB within the single polarization wavelength range; and

optically pumping the optically active linearly birefringent and linearly dichroic fiber for obtaining fluorescence within the gain bandwidth.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of providing an optically active linearly birefringent and linearly dichroic fiber further comprises providing an optically active linearly birefringent and linearly dichroic fiber having a polarization dependent loss equal to or greater than 15 dB within the single polarization wavelength range.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of providing an optically active linearly birefringent and linearly dichroic fiber further comprises providing an optically active linearly birefringent and linearly dichroic fiber having a polarization dependent loss equal to or greater than 20 dB within the single polarization wavelength range.