Phased laser array with tailored spectral and coherence properties
First Claim
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1. A fiber optic laser array, comprising:
- a plurality of fiber optics, wherein each fiber optic of said plurality of fiber optics comprises an active laser gain medium; and
means for controlling the length of at least one said fiber optic, wherein, at an operative wavelength, optically pumping each said active laser gain medium produces a laser beam, wherein said plurality of fiber optics produces a plurality of laser beams, wherein said means for controlling comprises means for radio-frequency (RF) modulating a beam of light co-propagating with said laser beam, wherein said beam of light and said laser beam simultaneously propagate within said at least one said fiber optic, wherein said means for controlling the length comprises an RF phase detector for determining the RF phase for calculating the absolute length of said each fiber optic, wherein said means for controlling the length of said at least one said fiber optic is configured to measure the RF phase of each said beam of light transmitted through said each fiber optic to determine the length of said each fiber optic and wherein said means for controlling the length of said each fiber optic is configured to alter the length of at least one of said each fiber optic to achieve a phase matching condition between at least two laser beams of said plurality of laser beams, wherein said length is altered such that two or more said laser beams comprise a matching transit time through their respective said each fiber optic, wherein said matching transit time matches to within the reciprocal of the bandwidth of said each laser beam.
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Abstract
Architectures for coherently combining an array of fiber-based lasers are provided. By matching their lengths to within a few integer multiples of a wavelength, the spatial and temporal properties of a single large laser are replicated, while extending the average or peak pulsed power limit.
9 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A fiber optic laser array, comprising:
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a plurality of fiber optics, wherein each fiber optic of said plurality of fiber optics comprises an active laser gain medium; and means for controlling the length of at least one said fiber optic, wherein, at an operative wavelength, optically pumping each said active laser gain medium produces a laser beam, wherein said plurality of fiber optics produces a plurality of laser beams, wherein said means for controlling comprises means for radio-frequency (RF) modulating a beam of light co-propagating with said laser beam, wherein said beam of light and said laser beam simultaneously propagate within said at least one said fiber optic, wherein said means for controlling the length comprises an RF phase detector for determining the RF phase for calculating the absolute length of said each fiber optic, wherein said means for controlling the length of said at least one said fiber optic is configured to measure the RF phase of each said beam of light transmitted through said each fiber optic to determine the length of said each fiber optic and wherein said means for controlling the length of said each fiber optic is configured to alter the length of at least one of said each fiber optic to achieve a phase matching condition between at least two laser beams of said plurality of laser beams, wherein said length is altered such that two or more said laser beams comprise a matching transit time through their respective said each fiber optic, wherein said matching transit time matches to within the reciprocal of the bandwidth of said each laser beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method, comprising:
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providing a plurality of fiber optics, wherein each fiber optic of said plurality of fiber optics comprises an active laser gain medium; and controlling the length of at least one said fiber optic; optically pumping each said active laser gain medium to produce a laser beam, wherein said plurality of fiber optics produces a plurality of laser beams, wherein the step of controlling comprises radio-frequency (RF) modulating a beam of light co-propagating with said laser beam, wherein said beam of light and said laser beam simultaneously propagate within said at least one said fiber optic, wherein the step of controlling comprises measuring, with an RF phase detector, the RF phase of each said beam of light transmitted through said each fiber optic and determining the absolute length of said each fiber optic and wherein the step of controlling alters the length of at least one of said each fiber optic to achieve a phase matching condition between at least two laser beams of said plurality of laser beams, wherein said length is altered such that two or more said laser beams comprise a matching transit time through their respective said each fiber optic, wherein said matching transit time matches to within the reciprocal of the bandwidth of said each laser beam. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A fiber optic amplifier array, comprising:
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a plurality of fiber optic amplifiers; means for controlling the length of each fiber optic amplifier of said plurality of fiber optic amplifiers; means for optically pumping said each fiber optic amplifier to produce an amplified laser beam from said each fiber optic amplifier, wherein said plurality of fiber optic amplifiers produce a plurality of amplified laser beams, wherein said means for controlling comprises means for radio-frequency (RF) modulating a beam of light co-propagating with each said amplified laser beam in said each fiber optic amplifier, wherein said beam of light and said laser beam simultaneously propagate within said each fiber optic amplifier, wherein said means for controlling the length comprises an RF phase detector for determining the RF phase for calculating the absolute length of said each fiber optic amplifier, wherein said means for controlling the length is configured to measure the RF phase of each said beam of light transmitted through said each fiber optic amplifier and is further configured to alter the length of at least one of said each fiber optic amplifier to achieve a phase matching condition between at least two amplified laser beams of said plurality of amplified, wherein said length is altered such that two or more said laser beams comprise a matching transit time through their respective said each fiber optic amplifier, wherein said matching transit time matches to within the reciprocal of the bandwidth of said each laser beam.
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20. A method, comprising:
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Providing a plurality of fiber optic amplifiers; controlling the length of each fiber optic amplifier of said plurality of fiber optic amplifiers; optically pumping said each fiber optic amplifier to produce an amplified laser beam from said each fiber optic amplifier, wherein said plurality of fiber optic amplifiers produce a plurality of amplified laser beams, wherein the step of controlling radio-frequency (RF) modulates a beam of light co-propagating with each said amplified laser beam in said each fiber optic amplifier, wherein said beam of light and said laser beam simultaneously propagate within said each fiber optic amplifier, wherein said means for controlling the length comprises an RF phase detector for determining the RF phase for calculating the absolute length of said each fiber optic amplifier, wherein the step of controlling further comprises measuring the RF phase of each said beam of light transmitted through said each fiber optic amplifier and alters the length of at least one of said each fiber optic amplifier to achieve a phase matching condition between at least two amplified laser beams of said plurality of amplified, wherein said length is altered such that two or more said laser beams comprise a matching transit time through their respective said each fiber optic amplifier, wherein said matching transit time matches to within the reciprocal of the bandwidth of said each laser beam.
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Specification