Systems and methods for control of ultra short pulse amplification

• US 8,139,910 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rayd LLC
• Original Assignee: Raydiance, Inc. (Coherent Corp.)
• Inventors: Farley, Mark, Mielke, Michael M., Kim, Kyungbum, Vaissie, Laurent, Waarts, Robert G., Cumbo, Michael J., Stadler, Andrew D., Goldman, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Rojas, Omar
• Application Number:
  US12/259,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20090323740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 359/333
• US Class Current: 385/37
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2706 as bulk elements, i.e. free space arrangements external to a light guide, e.g. polarising beam splitters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2931 Diffractive element operating in reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2932 comprising a directional router, e.g. directional coupler, circulator
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0057 Temporal shaping, e.g. pulse compression, frequency chirping soliton generation and propagation G02F1/3513, H01S3/063 and H01S3/108
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/083 Ring lasers fibre ring lasers H01S3/06791
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/235 Regenerative amplifiers

Abstract

A method of controlling an ultra-short pulse system is described comprising controlling an optical power within the ultra-short pulse system and control-system controlling a width of an optical pulse. In some embodiments, the method also comprises tuning a compressor by controlling a number of passes of the optical pulse through a Bragg grating to control the width of the optical pulse output from the compressor. In other embodiments, the method may comprise tuning a multi-pass stretcher by controlling a number of passes of the optical pulse through a loop of the multi-pass stretcher to control the width of the optical pulse output from the multi-pass stretcher. A method of controlling an ultra-short pulse system may also comprise accessing a control system from a remotely located command station, communicating status information from the control system to the command station, and communicating information from the command station to the control system.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an ultra-short pulse system comprising:

controlling an optical power within an ultra-short pulse system;

control-system controlling a width of an optical pulse; and

tuning a compressor by controlling a number of passes of the optical pulse through a Bragg grating to control the width of the optical pulse output from the compressor, the optical pulse passing through the Bragg grating at least once.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising control-system controlling a power output of a stretcher.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising control-system controlling a power output of an amplifier.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising control-system controlling a pulse picker output pulse repetition rate.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising control-system controlling a half-wave plate position to minimize optical power losses in the compressor.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising control-system controlling a pulse picker to minimize a pulse picker output power level.

7. A method of controlling an ultra-short pulse system comprising:

controlling an optical power within an ultra-short pulse system;

control-system controlling a width of an optical pulse; and

tuning a multi-pass stretcher by controlling a number of passes of the optical pulse through a loop of the multi-pass stretcher to control the width of the optical pulse output from the multi-pass stretcher, the optical pulse passing through the loop of the multi-pass stretcher at least once.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising control-system controlling a power output of the multi-pass stretcher.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising control-system controlling a power output of an amplifier.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising control-system controlling a pulse picker output pulse repetition rate.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising control-system controlling a half-wave plate position to minimize optical power losses in a compressor.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising control-system controlling a pulse picker to minimize a pulse picker output power level.

13. A method of controlling an ultra-short pulse system comprising:

accessing a control system of an ultra-short pulse system from a remotely located command station;

receiving ultra-short pulse system status information from the control system at the command station; and

communicating information from the command station to the control system, the information from the command station includes tuning a compressor by controlling a number of passes of an optical pulse through a Bragg grating to control a width of the optical pulse output from the compressor, the optical pulse passing through the Bragg grating at least once.

14. A method of controlling an ultra-short pulse system comprising:

accessing a control system of an ultra-short pulse system from a remotely located command station;

receiving ultra-short pulse system status information from the control system at the command station; and

communicating information from the command station to the control system, the information from the command station includes tuning a multi-pass stretcher by controlling a number of passes of an optical pulse through a loop of the multi-pass stretcher to control a width of the optical pulse output from the multi-pass stretcher, the optical pulse passing through the loop of the multi-pass stretcher at least once.

15. An ultra-short pulse system comprising:

a control-system controlling a width of an optical pulse; and

a compressor tuned by controlling a number of passes of the optical pulse through a Bragg grating to control the width of the optical pulse output from the compressor, an optical power within the system being controlled, the optical pulse passing through the Bragg grating at least once.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the control-system controls a power output of a stretcher.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the control-system controls a power output of an amplifier.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the control-system controls a pulse picker output pulse repetition rate.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the control-system controls a half-wave plate position to minimize optical power losses in the compressor.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the control-system controls a pulse picker to minimize a pulse picker output power level.

21. A system for controlling an ultra-short pulse system comprising:

a control-system controlling a width of an optical pulse; and

a multi-pass stretcher tuned by controlling a number of passes of the optical pulse through a loop of the multi-pass stretcher to control the width of the optical pulse output from the multi-pass stretcher, an optical power within the system being controlled, the optical pulse passing through the loop of the multi-pass stretcher at least once.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the control-system controls a power output of the multi-pass stretcher.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the control-system controls a power output of an amplifier.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the control-system controls a pulse picker output pulse repetition rate.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the control-system controls a half-wave plate position to minimize optical power losses in a compressor.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the control-system controls a pulse picker to minimize a pulse picker output power level.

27. A system for controlling an ultra-short pulse system comprising:

a control system of an ultra-short pulse system accessed from a remotely located command station, the command station receiving ultra-short pulse system status information from the control system, and information from the command station is communicated to the control system, the information from the command station includes tuning a compressor by controlling a number of passes of an optical pulse through a Bragg grating to control a width of the optical pulse output from the compressor, the optical pulse passing through the Bragg grating at least once.

28. A system for controlling an ultra-short pulse system comprising:

a control system of an ultra-short pulse system accessed from a remotely located command station, the command station receiving ultra-short pulse system status information from the control system, and information from the command station is communicated to the control system, the information from the command station includes tuning a multi-pass stretcher by controlling a number of passes of an optical pulse through a loop of the multi-pass stretcher to control a width of the optical pulse output from the multi-pass stretcher, the optical pulse passing through the loop of the multi-pass stretcher at least once.