Optical parametric amplification, optical parametric generation, and optical pumping in optical fibers systems
First Claim
1. A high energy optical pulse source utilizing Tm chirped pulse amplification, said optical pulse source comprising:
- a fiber based laser system comprising a seed laser, the fiber based laser system configured to emit optical seed pulses at a laser wavelength of about 2 μ
m;
a fiber pulse stretcher configured to stretch said seed pulses to a pulse width greater than 10 ps in a wavelength range for amplification with a Tm fiber amplifier;
a Tm fiber amplifier configured to amplify said stretched optical pulses to a pulse energy greater than 200 nJ and a peak power greater than 100 kW, said Tm fiber amplifier comprising at least one doped large mode area fiber containing Tm;
a pulse compressor disposed downstream from said at least one Tm fiber amplifier and arranged to compress pulses produced by said Tm fiber amplifier to a pulse width substantially shorter than 3 ps; and
an output port configured to output optical pulses compressed with said pulse compressor, said output optical pulses having spectral components within a spectral range from about 1800 nanometers to about 2400 nanometers.
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Abstract
Embodiments described herein include a system for producing ultrashort tunable pulses based on ultra broadband OPA or OPG in nonlinear materials. The system parameters such as the nonlinear material, pump wavelengths, quasi-phase matching periods, and temperatures can be selected to utilize the intrinsic dispersion relations for such material to produce bandwidth limited or nearly bandwidth limited pulse compression. Compact high average power sources of short optical pulses tunable in the wavelength range of 1800 to 2100 nm and after frequency doubling in the wavelength range of 900 to 1050 nm can be used as a pump for the ultra broadband OPA or OPG. In certain embodiments, these short pump pulses are obtained from an Er fiber oscillator at about 1550 nm, amplified in Er fiber, Raman-shifted to 1800 to 2100 nm, stretched in a fiber stretcher, and amplified in Tm-doped fiber.
62 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A high energy optical pulse source utilizing Tm chirped pulse amplification, said optical pulse source comprising:
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a fiber based laser system comprising a seed laser, the fiber based laser system configured to emit optical seed pulses at a laser wavelength of about 2 μ
m;a fiber pulse stretcher configured to stretch said seed pulses to a pulse width greater than 10 ps in a wavelength range for amplification with a Tm fiber amplifier; a Tm fiber amplifier configured to amplify said stretched optical pulses to a pulse energy greater than 200 nJ and a peak power greater than 100 kW, said Tm fiber amplifier comprising at least one doped large mode area fiber containing Tm; a pulse compressor disposed downstream from said at least one Tm fiber amplifier and arranged to compress pulses produced by said Tm fiber amplifier to a pulse width substantially shorter than 3 ps; and an output port configured to output optical pulses compressed with said pulse compressor, said output optical pulses having spectral components within a spectral range from about 1800 nanometers to about 2400 nanometers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An optical pulse source for the 1800 nm to 2400 nm wavelength region, the optical pulse source comprising:
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a fiber based laser system comprising a seed laser configured to emit optical seed pulses; a positive dispersion fiber pulse stretcher configured to stretch said seed pulses; a Tm fiber amplifier configured to amplify said stretched optical pulses, said Tm fiber amplifier comprising at least one doped fiber containing Tm and co-doped with another rare earth element; a dispersive pulse compressor arranged to compress pulses amplified by said Tm fiber amplifier, wherein said dispersive pulse compressor is configured to produce negative dispersion, wherein said dispersive pulse compression occurs in either the Tm fiber amplifier or an additional negative dispersion fiber located downstream of said Tm fiber amplifier, wherein said dispersive pulse compressor is configured to impart a nonlinear phase shift during pulse compression, wherein said dispersive pulse compressor is configured to compress the pulses to less than ten times the bandwidth limit; and an output port configured to output optical pulses compressed with said dispersive pulse compressor, said output optical pulses having wavelengths in a range from about 1800 nm to about 2400 nm. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification