Broadband or mid-infrared fiber light sources
DCFirst Claim
1. A broadband light source comprising:
- one or more laser diodes capable of generating a pump signal comprising a wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns, a pulse width of at least 100 picoseconds and a pump optical spectral width;
one or more optical amplifiers coupled to the pump signal and capable of amplifying the pump signal to a peak power of at least 500 W;
a first fiber coupled to the one or more optical amplifiers, the first fiber comprising an anomalous group-velocity dispersion regime and a modulational instability mechanism that modulates the pump signal, wherein the pump signal wavelength resides in the anomalous group-velocity dispersion regime of the first fiber, and wherein different intensities in the pump signal can cause relative motion between different parts of the modulated pump signal produced through modulational instability in the first fiber; and
a nonlinear element coupled to the first fiber capable of broadening the pump optical spectral width to at least 100 nm through a nonlinear effect in the nonlinear element.
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Abstract
A broadband light source includes one or more laser diodes that are capable of generating a pump signal having a wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns, a pulse width of at least 100 picoseconds and a pump optical spectral width. The light source also includes one or more optical amplifiers that are coupled to the pump signal and are capable of amplifying the pump signal to a peak power of at least 500 W. The light source further includes a first fiber that is coupled to the one or more optical amplifiers. The first fiber including an anomalous group-velocity dispersion regime and a modulational instability mechanism that operates to modulate the pump signal. In one particular embodiment, the pump signal wavelength resides in the anomalous group-velocity dispersion regime of the first fiber and where different intensities in the pump signal can cause relative motion between different parts of the modulated pump signal produced through modulational instability in the first fiber. The light source also including a nonlinear element that is coupled to the first fiber that is capable of broadening the pump optical spectral width to at least 100 nm through a nonlinear effect in the nonlinear element.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A broadband light source comprising:
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one or more laser diodes capable of generating a pump signal comprising a wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns, a pulse width of at least 100 picoseconds and a pump optical spectral width; one or more optical amplifiers coupled to the pump signal and capable of amplifying the pump signal to a peak power of at least 500 W; a first fiber coupled to the one or more optical amplifiers, the first fiber comprising an anomalous group-velocity dispersion regime and a modulational instability mechanism that modulates the pump signal, wherein the pump signal wavelength resides in the anomalous group-velocity dispersion regime of the first fiber, and wherein different intensities in the pump signal can cause relative motion between different parts of the modulated pump signal produced through modulational instability in the first fiber; and a nonlinear element coupled to the first fiber capable of broadening the pump optical spectral width to at least 100 nm through a nonlinear effect in the nonlinear element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A mid-infrared light source comprising:
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one or more laser diodes capable of generating a pump signal comprising at least one wavelength and a pulse width of at least 100 picoseconds; one or more optical amplifiers coupled to the pump signal and capable of amplifying the pump signal; one or more fibers coupled to the one or more optical amplifiers, at least one of the one or more fibers comprising an anomalous group-velocity dispersion regime and a modulational instability mechanism that modulates the at least one wavelength of the pump signal in at least a portion of the at least one of the one or more fibers, wherein the at least one wavelength of the pump signal resides in the anomalous group-velocity dispersion regime for at least a fraction of the at least one of the one or more fibers; and a nonlinear element coupled to the one or more fibers capable of generating a super-continuum with a substantially continuous spectrum from at least the at least one wavelength of the pump signal to 2.6 microns or longer and wherein the nonlinear element introduces less than 10 decibels of power loss at 2.6 microns. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of generating broadband light comprising the steps of:
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generating a pump signal, wherein the pump signal comprises at least one wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns, a pulse width of at least 100 picoseconds and a pump optical spectral width; amplifying the pump signal to a peak power of at least 500 watts; modulating at least a fraction of the pump signal using a modulational instability mechanism, wherein different intensities in the pump signal leads to relative motion between different portions of the pump signal; and broadening the pump optical spectral width to at least 100 nm using a nonlinear effect. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification