EP0208189A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Optical fiber laser
Assignee: Viavi Solutions Inc
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Filing: 1986-06-23
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-06-23
Abstract
Abstract An optical fiber laser (10) comprising a gain cavity in the form of a single mode optical fiber (12) with integrally formed reflective end sections (18, 20) for provision of feedback. One end section (18) is an etalon for modifying the gain cavity resonant characteristics and intensity modulation, and the other end section (20) is used to alter gain cavity effective length to tune and frequency modulate. The emission spectrum of the laser gain material, which is preferably neodymium oxide incorporated in a silicate glass core, along with the etalon section reflection, pump energy level, and gain cavity length cooperate so that lasing takes place over just a single line of narrow width or over more than one line within a narrow band. Electro-optic material in the end sections permit output frequency and amplitude to be selectively activated in response to the application of applied voltages.
Inventors
- 👤 Farhad Hakimi
- 👤 Hong Po
- 👤 Elias Snitzer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 01:12
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/09; H01S3/091; H01S3/094; H01S3/0941; H01S3/09415; H01S3/05; H01S3/06; H01S3/063; H01S3/067; H01S3/08; H01S3/08059; H01S3/10; H01S3/105; H01S3/094038; H01S3/106; H01S3/1062
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
153 words
A laser cavity system comprising: a single mode optical waveguide incorporating laser material having an absorption spectrum and a fluorescence spectrum; dichroic means mounted on one end of said waveguide for transmitting pumping radiation within said absorption spectrum and for reflecting emissive radiation within said fluorescence spectrum; and an etalon filter section butt coupled to the other end of said waveguide, said etalon filter section comprising a section of optical material carrying reflecting means at each end for reflecting a percentage of said emissive radiation, and said etalon filter section, in conjunction with said dichroic means, forming a laser cavity in said waveguide and, in response to pumping of said cavity, providing a combination of the resonant characteristics of said cavity and the resonant characteristics of said etalon filter section to provide a laser output from the free end of said etalon filter section having a narrow wavelength interval within said fluorescence spectrum.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
153 words
A laser cavity system comprising: a single mode optical waveguide incorporating laser material having an absorption spectrum and a fluorescence spectrum; dichroic means mounted on one end of said waveguide for transmitting pumping radiation within said absorption spectrum and for reflecting emissive radiation within said fluorescence spectrum; and an etalon filter section butt coupled to the other end of said waveguide, said etalon filter section comprising a section of optical material carrying reflecting means at each end for reflecting a percentage of said emissive radiation, and said etalon filter section, in conjunction with said dichroic means, forming a laser cavity in said waveguide and, in response to pumping of said cavity, providing a combination of the resonant characteristics of said cavity and the resonant characteristics of said etalon filter section to provide a laser output from the free end of said etalon filter section having a narrow wavelength interval within said fluorescence spectrum.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
The laser cavity system of claim 1 wherein said optical material of said etalon filter section comprises an electro-optical material responsive to the application of an external voltage to change the optical path length of said etalon filter section to selectively alter said laser output in amplitude and frequency.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
The laser cavity system of claim 1 wherein the length of said single mode optical waveguide and the length of said etalon sections are such that said laser output is a single emission line of narrow bandwidth.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The laser cavity system of claim 1, further comprising: pumping means for introducing energy into said optical waveguide.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
70 words
The laser cavity system of claim 1, wherein said waveguide includes a single mode optical fiber of given length having a core with a given index of refraction and a cladding surrounding said core and having an index of refraction lower than that of said core, said laser gain material with a fluorescence spectrum having at least one broadband region in which there is at least one peak emission line.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The laser of claim 5 wherein said given length of said optical fiber and said etalon are selected so that said laser has only one emission line.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
The laser of claim 5 wherein said given length of said optical fiber is in the range including 1 millimeter to at least one meter.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
The laser of claim 5 wherein the ratio of said given length of said optical fiber to said predetermined length of said etalon section material is in the range including 100,000 to 1,000 to 1.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The laser of claim 5 wherein said laser gain material is selected from the group comprising neodymium, erbium, holmium, and ytterbium and compounds thereof.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
12 words
The laser of claim 9 wherein host material comprises a silicate glass.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
The laser of claim 5 wherein said cladding is selected from the group comprising silicate and germinate glass and combinations thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
The laser of claim 5 wherein said energy pumping means comprises a laser diode.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
The laser of claim 5 wherein said material between said filters of said etalon section comprises an electro-optic material responsive to an externally applied voltage to alter the characteristics of said etalon section.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
The laser of claim 13 wherein the optical path length of said etalon section is altered.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
The laser of claim 13 wherein said etalon section is responsive to an externally applied voltage to vary the amplitude of the output of said laser.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
The laser of claim 15 wherein said etalon section is responsive to an externally applied voltage to vary the frequency of the output of said laser.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
The laser of claim 5 wherein the length of said etalon section is greater than one quarter of the shortest output wavelength of said laser.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
The laser of claim 6 wherein the length of said etalon section is no longer than the distance to which the wave train energy from said fiber core remains substantially planar.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
32 words
The laser of claim 5 wherein said filter means at said one end of said gain cavity is variable to change the frequency output of said laser and to tune said laser.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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