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EP0435217A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Embedded Bragg grating pumped lasers

Assignee: RTX Corp
•
Filing: 1990-12-21
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2010-12-21
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Abstract

Abstract An optical fiber laser arrangement (10) includes an optical fiber section (11) that has a solid waveguiding portion capable of guiding light along a longitudinal axis between longitudinally spaced ends thereof. The waveguiding portion is at least in part of a material that emits light in response to stimulation by light. A pumping laser (12) is used to launch stimulating light into the waveguiding portion for longitudinal propagation therein. The waveguiding portion has at least one Bragg grating (13, 14) permanently embedded therein. The Bragg grating redirects light initially propagating in one direction into a different direction, and consists of a multitude of longitudinally consecutive grating elements constituted by periodic refractive index perturbations with a given periodicity that cumulatively cause light of a predetermined wavelength depending on the periodicity to change its direction of propagation from one of the directions to the other and to constructively interfere when propagating in the other direction.

Inventors

  • 👤 Frederick John Leonberger
  • 👤 William Henry Glenn

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 21:41
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/05; H01S3/06; H01S3/063; H01S3/067; H01S3/06704; H01S3/0675; H01S3/06708; H01S3/06729; H01S3/06737; H01S3/08; H01S3/08018; H01S3/08022; H01S3/08086; H01S3/09; H01S3/091; H01S3/094; H01S3/094003; H01S3/094007; H01S3/094019; H01S3/094038; H01S3/094061; H01S3/0941; H01S3/23; H01S3/2383

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim 179 words
An optical fiber laser arrangement comprising an optical fiber section including an elongated solid waveguiding portion capable of guiding light along a longitudinal axis between longitudinally spaced ends thereof, at least one longitudinal region of said waveguiding portion being of a rare-earth-doped material capable of emitting stimulated light in response to stimulation by stimulating light; means for launching stimulating light into said waveguiding portion for longitudinal propagation therein and for stimulating said rare-earth-doped material to emit said stimulated light; and means in said waveguiding portion for redirecting light initially propagating in a predetermined direction into a different direction, including a Bragg grating permanently embedded in said waveguiding portion and consisting of a multitude of longitudinally consecutive grating elements constituted by periodic refractive index perturbations with a given periodicity that extend all the way across said longitudinal region and cumulatively cause only that of said stimulated light that has a predetermined wavelength depending on said periodicity to change its direction of propagation from one of said directions to the other and to constructively interfere when propagating in said other direction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 56 words
The arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said grating is situated at one of said ends of said waveguiding portion and said grating elements thereof extend substantially normal to said longitudinal axis for said grating to serve as a partially transparent reflector axially delimiting a laser cavity at said one end of said waveguiding portion.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 45 words
The arrangement as defined in claim 2, and further comprising an additional reflector arranged at the other of said ends of said waveguiding portion and constituted by a grating substantially identical to said Bragg grating and axially delimiting said laser cavity at said other end.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 105 words
The arrangement as defined in any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising two reflectors each situated at a different one of said ends of said waveguiding portion and axially delimiting a laser cavity thereat; and wherein said grating is situated between said reflectors and all of said grating elements thereof extend at the same oblique angle with respect to said longitudinal axis for a first of said directions to extend longitudinally of said waveguiding portion and a second of said directions to extend out of said waveguiding portion at the location of said grating at a predetermined angle relative to said longitudinal axis.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 54 words
The arrangement as defined in claim 4, wherein at least one of said reflectors is constituted by an additional grating similar to said Bragg grating but with said grating elements thereof extending substantially normal to said longitudinal axis for said grating elements cumulatively to reverse the direction of propagation of the light affected thereby.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 74 words
The arrangement as defined in any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an additional optical fiber section similar to and extending substantially parallel to said optical fiber section; and wherein said grating of said additional optical fiber section is situated to receive the light redirected by said grating of said optical fiber section and to redirect the same into said waveguiding portion of said additional optical fiber section for longitudinal propagation therein.

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