Multi-stage optical amplifier having photonic-crystal-rod waveguides and non-photonic-crystal optical fiber interconnects and associated method
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- an optical amplifier having a first photonic-crystal rod (PCR) that has a rare-earth-doped photonic-crystal core with a diameter of at least 40 microns and a cladding having an outer diameter of at least 1 mm;
a master oscillator operable to generate a seed laser signal operatively coupled to the optical amplifier; and
a first optical component having a solid-body fiber that has a signal waveguide directly optically coupled to the core of the first PCR without a free-space gap, wherein the solid-body fiber does not have a photonic-crystal structure in the optical signal path.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus use a photonic-crystal fiber having a very large core while maintaining a single transverse mode. In some fiber lasers and amplifiers having large cores problems exist related to energy being generated at multiple-modes (i.e., polygamy), and of mode hopping (i.e., promiscuity) due to limited control of energy levels and fluctuations. The problems of multiple-modes and mode hopping result from the use of large-diameter waveguides, and are addressed by the invention. This is especially true in lasers using large amounts of energy (i.e., lasers in the one-megawatt or more range). By using multiple small waveguides in parallel, large amounts of energy can be passed through a laser, but with better control such that the aforementioned problems can be reduced. An additional advantage is that the polarization of the light can be maintained better than by using a single fiber core.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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an optical amplifier having a first photonic-crystal rod (PCR) that has a rare-earth-doped photonic-crystal core with a diameter of at least 40 microns and a cladding having an outer diameter of at least 1 mm; a master oscillator operable to generate a seed laser signal operatively coupled to the optical amplifier; and a first optical component having a solid-body fiber that has a signal waveguide directly optically coupled to the core of the first PCR without a free-space gap, wherein the solid-body fiber does not have a photonic-crystal structure in the optical signal path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus comprising:
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an optical amplifier having a first photonic-crystal rod (PCR) that has a rare-earth-doped photonic-crystal core with a diameter of at least 40 microns and a cladding having an outer diameter of at least 1 mm, non-photonic-crystal means for forming an optical signal path connected to the core of the first PCR without a free-space gap. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method comprising:
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providing an optical amplifier having a first photonic-crystal rod (PCR) that has a rare-earth-doped photonic-crystal core with a diameter of at least 40 microns and a cladding having an outer diameter of at least 1 mm, providing a master oscillator; providing a solid-body fiber that has a signal waveguide, wherein the solid-body fiber does not have a photonic-crystal structure in the optical signal path; generating a seed laser signal with the master oscillator; optically coupling the seed laser signal to the optical amplifier; and directly optically coupling the signal waveguide of the solid-body fiber to the core of the first PCR without a free-space gap. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification