BROADBAND OR MID-INFRARED FIBER LIGHT SOURCES

• US 20160010971A1
• Filed: 09/22/2015
• Published: 01/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omni Continuum LLC
• Original Assignee: Omni Medsci, Inc.
• Inventors: ISLAM, Mohammed N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,476,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

An optical system includes a tunable semiconductor light emitter that generates an input beam having a wavelength shorter than about 2.5 microns, an optical isolator coupled to the emitter and configured to block reflected light into the emitter, an optical amplifier receiving the input beam and outputting an intermediate beam, and optical fibers receiving the intermediate beam and forming an output beam. A subsystem includes lenses or mirrors that deliver the output beam to a sample. The subsystem may include an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) apparatus having a sample arm and a reference arm, the output beam having a temporal duration greater than approximately 30 picoseconds, a repetition rate between continuous wave and Megahertz or higher, and a time averaged intensity less than approximately 50 MW/cm². The system may also include a light detection system collecting any of the output beam that reflects or transmits from the sample.

Claims

1. An optical system comprising:

one or more tunable semiconductor light emitters configured to generate an input beam, wherein at least a portion of the input beam comprises a wavelength shorter than about 2.5 microns;

one or more optical isolators coupled to the one or more tunable semiconductor light emitters and configured to substantially prevent a reflected light into the one or more tunable semiconductor light emitters;

one or more optical amplifiers configured to receive at least a part of the portion of the input beam and to output an intermediate beam from one of the one or more optical amplifiers;

one or more optical fibers configured to receive at least a portion of the intermediate beam and to form an output beam with an output beam wavelength;

a subsystem comprising one or more lenses or mirrors configured to receive a received portion of the output beam, the one of more lenses or mirrors configured to deliver a delivered portion of the output beam to a sample, wherein the subsystem comprises an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) apparatus comprising a sample arm and a reference arm, wherein the delivered portion of the output beam has a temporal duration greater than approximately 30 picoseconds, wherein the delivered portion of the output beam has a repetition rate between continuous wave and Megahertz or higher, and wherein a time averaged intensity of the delivered portion of the output beam is less than approximately 50 MW/cm²; and

a light detection system capable of collecting at least a fraction of the delivered portion of the output beam that reflects or transmits from the sample.

2. The optical system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more tunable semiconductor light emitters is coupled to a WDM.

3. The optical system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more tunable semiconductor light emitters is coupled to an optical tap.

4. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the OCT apparatus further comprises a fiber-based Michelson interferometer.

5. The optical system of claim 1, wherein an output power of the output beam is about 20 milliwatts or more.

6. The optical system of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the sample is selected from the group consisting of skin, biological tissue, corneal tissue, a semiconductor wafer, a semiconductor chip, and multi-layered structures.

7. An optical system comprising:

a plurality of semiconductor light emitters, each configured to generate an optical beam;

a WDM for receiving at least a portion of at least one of the optical beams from the plurality of semiconductor light emitters and for outputting an intermediate optical beam;

an optical fiber or waveguide for receiving at least a portion of the intermediate optical beam and to communicate at least part of the portion of the intermediate optical beam to form an output beam having at least one wavelength based on at least part of the portion of the intermediate optical beam;

a subsystem comprising one or more lenses or mirrors for receiving a received portion of the output beam, the one or more lenses or mirrors delivering a delivered portion of the output beam to a sample, wherein the subsystem comprises an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) apparatus comprising a sample arm and a reference arm, wherein the delivered portion of the output beam has a temporal duration greater than 30 picoseconds, and wherein the delivered portion of the output beam has a repetition rate between continuous wave and Megahertz or higher; and

a light detection system capable of collecting at least a fraction of the delivered portion of the output beam that reflects or transmits from the sample.

8. The optical system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the plurality of semiconductor light emitters comprises a tunable light source capable of emitting a wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns.

9. The optical system of claim 7, wherein at least one of the plurality of semiconductor light emitters is coupled to an optical isolator.

10. The optical system of claim 9, wherein the optical isolator is coupled to one or more optical amplifiers.

11. The optical system of claim 10, wherein the one or more optical amplifiers is coupled to an optical tap.

12. The optical system of claim 7, wherein the OCT apparatus further comprises a fiber-based Michelson interferometer.

13. The optical system of claim 7, wherein an output power of the output beam is 20 milliwatts or more, and wherein a time averaged intensity of the delivered portion of the output beam is less than 50 MW/cm².

14. An optical system comprising:

a plurality of semiconductor light emitters, each configured to generate an optical beam, wherein at least one of the semiconductor light emitters is a tunable light source configurable to generate a wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns;

a WDM configured to receive at least a portion of one or more of the optical beams from the plurality of semiconductor light emitters and for outputting an intermediate optical beam;

one or more optical amplifiers configured to receive at least a part of the intermediate optical beam and to output a second optical beam;

one or more optical fibers configured to receive at least a portion of the second optical beam and to form an output beam with an output beam wavelength;

a subsystem comprising one or more lenses or mirrors for receiving a received portion of the output beam and the one or more lenses or mirrors delivering a delivered portion of the output beam to a sample, wherein the delivered portion of the output beam has a temporal duration greater than 30 picoseconds, and wherein the delivered portion of the output beam has a repetition rate between continuous wave and Megahertz or higher; and

a light detection system capable of collecting at least a fraction of the delivered portion of the output beam that reflects or transmits from the sample.

15. The optical system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of semiconductor light emitters is coupled to an optical isolator.

16. The optical system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the one or more optical amplifiers is coupled to an optical tap.

17. The optical system of claim 14, wherein an output power of the output beam is 20 milliwatts or more, and wherein a time averaged intensity of the delivered portion of the output beam is less than 50 MW/cm².

18. The optical system of claim 14, wherein the subsystem comprises an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) apparatus comprising a sample arm and a reference arm.

19. The optical system of claim 18, wherein the OCT apparatus further comprises a fiber-based Michelson interferometer.

20. The optical system of claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the sample is selected from the group consisting of skin, biological tissue, corneal tissue, a semiconductor wafer, a semiconductor chip, and multi-layered structures.