US4588957A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Optical pulse compression apparatus and method
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1982-06-09
•
Granted: 1986-05-13
•
Expires: 2002-06-09
Abstract
Abstract An optical pulse is passed through a nonlinear dispersive delay line, which chirps the pulse by the nonlinear process of self-phase modulation and simultaneously and interactively broadens the pulse by the process of group velocity dispersion. The broadened and chirped pulse is then passed through a linear dispersive delay line, which compresses the pulse to a width less than the original pulse. By making the optical pulse suitably intense, a single-mode optical fiber may act as the nonlinear dispersive delay line. A near-resonant atomic vapor cell or a grating pair may act as the linear dispersive delay line.
Inventors
- 👤 Anne C. Balant
- 👤 Daniel R. Grischkowsky
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 18:21
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/35; G02F1/3511; G02F1/3513
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
129 words
Apparatus for compressing an optical pulse, comprising: a nonlinear dispersive optical delay line receiving the input optical pulse to be compressed, said nonlinear delay line having a group velocity dispersion and nonlinear index of refraction with the same sign, said nonlinear index of refraction producing self-phase modulation which interacts with group velocity dispersion to produce an intermediate pulse at the output of said nonlinear delay line which is broader than said input pulse and has linear frequency chirp; and a linear dispersive optical delay line receiving said intermediate pulse, said linear delay line having a group velocity dispersion of opposite sign from the group velocity dispersion of said nonlinear delay line and of sufficient magnitude to compress said intermediate pulse to a width less than said input optical pulse.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
129 words
Apparatus for compressing an optical pulse, comprising: a nonlinear dispersive optical delay line receiving the input optical pulse to be compressed, said nonlinear delay line having a group velocity dispersion and nonlinear index of refraction with the same sign, said nonlinear index of refraction producing self-phase modulation which interacts with group velocity dispersion to produce an intermediate pulse at the output of said nonlinear delay line which is broader than said input pulse and has linear frequency chirp; and a linear dispersive optical delay line receiving said intermediate pulse, said linear delay line having a group velocity dispersion of opposite sign from the group velocity dispersion of said nonlinear delay line and of sufficient magnitude to compress said intermediate pulse to a width less than said input optical pulse.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said compressed pulse has wings no farther extended than said input pulse.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said linear frequency chirp describes a larger portion of the energy of said intermediate pulse than could be described by using self-phase modulation effect alone.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said linear frequency chirp describes at least 75 percent of the energy of said intermediate pulse.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said linear frequency chirp describes at least 90 percent of the energy of said intermediate pulse.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said linear frequency chirp describes at least 95 percent of the energy of said intermediate pulse.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the group velocity dispersion and the nonlinear index of refraction of said nonlinear dispersive optical delay line are both positive and the group velocity dispersion of said linear dispersive optical delay line is negative.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said nonlinear dispersive optical delay line is a single-mode optical fiber.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said linear dispersive optical delay line is a near-resonant atomic vapor delay line.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein the atomic vapor of said atomic vapor delay line is sodium vapor.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said linear dispersive optical delay line is a grating pair.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein the wavelength of said input optical pulse is less than 1.3 micrometers.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 12 wherein the wavelength of said input optical pulse is less than 1.0 micrometer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein the wavelength of said input optical pulse is about 5,900 angstroms.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said input optical pulse has a half-maximum full width of less than 100 picoseconds.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said input optical pulse has a peak power of at least 1 watt.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein said input optical pulse has a peak power of about 10 watts.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the length and dispersion of said nonlinear dispersive delay line is sufficient to produce an intermediate pulse which is at least twice as broad as said input pulse.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
59 words
A method for compressing an optical pulse, comprising the steps of: temporally broadening and frequency chirping an input optical pulse through the combined action of group velocity dispersion and self-phase modulation having the same sign; and compressing the broadened and chirped pulse through the action of group velocity dispersion of sign opposite to the sign of the self-phase modulation.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
59 words
A method for compressing an optical pulse, comprising the steps of: temporally broadening and frequency chirping an input optical pulse through the combined action of group velocity dispersion and self-phase modulation having the same sign; and compressing the broadened and chirped pulse through the action of group velocity dispersion of sign opposite to the sign of the self-phase modulation.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as defined in claim 19 wherein the chirp describes a larger portion of the pulse energy than could be described by a chirp produced through the sole action of self-phase modulation.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as defined in claim 19 wherein the chirp describes at least 75 percent of the pulse energy.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as defined in claim 19 wherein the chirp describes at least 90 percent of the pulse energy.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as defined in claim 19 wherein the chirp describes at least 95 percent of the pulse energy.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as defined in claim 19 wherein the input pulse is temporally broadened to at least twice the input pulse width while being chirped by self-phase modulation.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method as defined in claim 19 wherein the compressed pulse has no more than one half the width of the input pulse and the base of the pulse has not been extended thereby.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3999839A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1989-05-12 | 1989-11-11 | 1990-05-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-05-12 | 1993-11-11 | 1994-05-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-05-12 | 1997-11-11 | 1998-05-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |