Mid-infrared super-continuum laser

• US 10,041,832 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2017
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omni Continuum LLC
• Original Assignee: Omni Medsci, Inc.
• Inventors: Islam, Mohammed N.
• Primary Examiner(s): PAK, SUNG H
• Application Number:
  US15/662,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20170336258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02091 Tomographic interferometers, e.g. based on optical coherence
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/102 Plural sources
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/423 Spectral arrangements using lasers, e.g. tunable
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0218 using optical fibers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0245 using an optical amplifier of light, e.g. doped fiber
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/108 for measurement in the infrared range
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/42 Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry beam switching arrangements G01J3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29349 Michelson or Michelson/Gires-Tournois configuration, i.e. based on splitting and interferometrically combining relatively delayed signals at a single beamsplitter
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3528 for producing a supercontinuum
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/365 in an optical waveguide structure G02F1/377, G02F1/395 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/32 Photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2301/085 solitons
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/06725 Fibre characterized by a specific dispersion, e.g. for pulse shaping in soliton lasers or for dispersion compensating [DCF]
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/06754 Fibre amplifiers H01S3/06708 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/094007 Cladding pumping, i.e. pump light propagating in a clad surrounding the active core
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/094069 Multi-mode pumping
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/094076 Pulsed or modulated pumping H01S3/1024 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1024 for pulse generation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/302 in an optical fibre
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0064 Anti-reflection components, e.g. optical isolators
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0085 : for modulating the output, i.e. the laser beam is modulated outside the laser cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0092 : for nonlinear frequency conversion, e.g. second harmonic generation [SHG] or sum- or difference-frequency generation outside the laser cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/1092 : Multi-wavelength lasing
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/146 : using a fiber as external cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4012 : Beam combining, e.g. by the use of fibres, gratings, polarisers, prisms

Abstract

A super continuum light source includes an input light source having semiconductor diodes generating an input beam having a wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns. Optical amplifiers receive the input beam and form an amplified optical beam having a spectral width. The optical amplifiers may include a cladding-pumped fiber amplifier doped with rare-earth materials. A nonlinear element may include mid-infrared fibers to receive the amplified optical beam and to broaden the spectral width of the received amplified optical beam to 100 nm or more through a nonlinear effect forming an output beam, wherein the output beam is pulsed. At least a portion of the output beam is in a mid-infrared wavelength range between 2 microns and 5 microns and at least a portion of the one or more mid-infrared fibers comprises a ZBLAN fluoride fiber coupled to a chalcogenide fiber.

Claims

1. A super continuum light source comprising:

an input light source, including one or more semiconductor diodes, to generate an input beam that comprises a wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns;

one or more optical amplifiers to receive at least a portion of the input beam and form an amplified optical beam having a spectral width, wherein at least a portion of the one or more optical amplifiers comprises a cladding-pumped fiber amplifier doped with rare-earth materials; and

a nonlinear element comprising one or more mid-infrared fibers to receive at least a portion of the amplified optical beam and to broaden the spectral width of the received amplified optical beam to 100 nm or more through a nonlinear effect forming an output beam, wherein the output beam is pulsed;

wherein at least a portion of the output beam is in a mid-infrared wavelength range between 2 microns and 5 microns; and

wherein at least a portion of the one or more mid-infrared fibers comprises a ZBLAN fluoride fiber or a tellurite fiber coupled to a chalcogenide fiber.

2. The super continuum light source of claim 1, wherein the chalcogenide fiber comprises a sulfide fiber and a selenide fiber.

3. The super continuum light source of claim 1, wherein the super continuum light source is further coupled to a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy system.

4. The super continuum light source of claim 1, wherein the super continuum light source is used to identify a sample based at least in part on its chemical composition.

5. The super continuum light source of claim 1, wherein the super continuum light source is coupled to a system for industrial chemical plant control, remote sensing, advanced semiconductor processing, combustion monitoring, bio-medical diagnostics or bio-medical ablation.

6. The super continuum light source of claim 1, wherein the one or more optical amplifiers comprise an erbium combined with ytterbium amplifier, and the chalcogenide fiber comprises a sulfide fiber and a selenide fiber.

7. A super continuum light source comprising:

an input light source, including one or more semiconductor diodes, to generate an input beam that comprises a wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns;

one or more optical amplifiers to receive at least a portion of the input beam and form an amplified optical beam having a spectral width, wherein at least a portion of the one or more optical amplifiers comprises a fiber amplifier doped with rare-earth materials; and

a nonlinear element comprising one or more mid-infrared fibers to receive at least a portion of the amplified optical beam and to broaden the spectral width of the received amplified optical beam to 100 nm or more through a nonlinear effect forming an output beam, wherein the output beam is pulsed;

wherein at least a portion of the output beam is in a mid-infrared wavelength range between approximately 2 microns and approximately 5 microns; and

wherein at least a portion of the one or more mid-infrared fibers comprises a fluoride or tellurite fiber coupled to a chalcogenide fiber.

8. The super continuum light source of claim 7, wherein the fluoride fiber is a ZBLAN fiber.

9. The super continuum light source of claim 7, wherein the super continuum light source is coupled to a system for industrial chemical plant control, remote sensing, advanced semiconductor processing, combustion monitoring, bio-medical diagnostics or bio-medical ablation.

10. The super continuum light source of claim 7, wherein the super continuum light source is further coupled to a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy system.

11. The super continuum light source of claim 7, wherein the super continuum light source is used to identify a sample based at least in part on its chemical composition.

12. The super continuum light source of claim 7, wherein the chalcogenide fiber comprises a sulfide fiber and a selenide fiber.

13. The super continuum light source of claim 7, wherein the one or more optical amplifiers comprise an erbium combined with ytterbium amplifier and a thulium amplifier, and the chalcogenide fiber comprises a sulfide fiber and a selenide fiber.

14. A super continuum light source comprising:

an input light source, including one or more semiconductor diodes, to generate an input beam that comprises a wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns;

one or more optical amplifiers to receive at least a portion of the input beam and form an amplified optical beam having a spectral width; and

a nonlinear element comprising one or more mid-infrared fibers to receive at least a portion of the amplified optical beam and to broaden the spectral width of the received amplified optical beam to 100 nm or more through a nonlinear effect forming an output beam, wherein the output beam is pulsed;

wherein at least a portion of the output beam is in a mid-infrared wavelength range between 2 microns and 5 microns; and

wherein at least a portion of the one or more mid-infrared fibers comprises a chalcogenide fiber, a tellurite fiber, or a fluoride fiber.

15. The super continuum light source of claim 14, wherein the super continuum light source is further coupled to a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy system.

16. The super continuum light source of claim 14, wherein the super continuum light source is used to identify a sample based at least in part on a chemical composition of the sample.

17. The super continuum light source of claim 14, wherein the mid-infrared fiber comprises a ZBLAN fluoride fiber.

18. The super continuum light source of claim 14, wherein the chalcogenide fiber comprises a sulfide fiber or a selenide fiber.

19. The super continuum light source of claim 14, wherein the super continuum light source is coupled to a system for industrial chemical plant control, remote sensing, advanced semiconductor processing, combustion monitoring, bio-medical diagnostics or bio-medical ablation.

20. The super continuum light source of claim 14, wherein the one or more optical amplifiers comprise an erbium combined with ytterbium amplifier and a thulium amplifier, and the chalcogenide fiber comprises a sulfide and a selenide fiber, and the mid-infrared fiber further comprises a ZBLAN fluoride fiber.