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US5499134A
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Optical pulse amplification using chirped Bragg gratings
Assignee: IMRA America Inc
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Filing: 1994-08-24
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Granted: 1996-03-12
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Expires: 2014-08-24
Abstract
Abstract Chirped Bragg gratings are used both for stretching and compressing of ultrashort optical pulses in a chirped pulse amplification system, so that even femtosecond pulses can be stretched and recompressed back to their initial shape and duration. When used in chirped pulse amplification systems instead of bulk diffraction grating stretchers and compressors, Bragg gratings offer unprecedented compactness, robustness and system efficiency.
Inventors
- 👤 Almantas Galvanauskas
- 👤 Martin E. Fermann
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 00:55
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/23; H01S3/2308; G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/26; G02B6/27; G02B6/2706; G02B6/2713; G02B6/28; G02B6/293; G02B6/29304; G02B6/29316; G02B6/29317; G02B6/29319; G02B6/29371; G02B6/29374; H01S3/005; H01S3/0057
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
111 words
An apparatus for amplifying an optical pulse, comprising: generating means for generating an optical pulse; spreading means, optically connected to said generating means, for reducing the peak amplitude of said optical pulse and increasing the duration of said optical pulse; amplifying means, optically connected to said spreading means, for increasing the amplitude of said optical pulse after said optical pulse is output from said spreading means; and recompressing means, optically connected to the output of said amplifying means, for decreasing the duration of said optical pulse after said optical pulse is output from said amplifying means; wherein at least one of said spreading and recompressing means comprises a chirped Bragg grating.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
111 words
An apparatus for amplifying an optical pulse, comprising: generating means for generating an optical pulse; spreading means, optically connected to said generating means, for reducing the peak amplitude of said optical pulse and increasing the duration of said optical pulse; amplifying means, optically connected to said spreading means, for increasing the amplitude of said optical pulse after said optical pulse is output from said spreading means; and recompressing means, optically connected to the output of said amplifying means, for decreasing the duration of said optical pulse after said optical pulse is output from said amplifying means; wherein at least one of said spreading and recompressing means comprises a chirped Bragg grating.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said spreading means and said recompressing means comprise the same chirped Bragg grating.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said spreading means comprises a spreading chirped Bragg grating and said recompressing means comprises a recompressing chirped Bragg grating.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising: dispersion compensating means, for reducing residual optical wave dispersion in said optical pulses.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 2, further comprising: dispersion compensating means, for reducing residual optical wave dispersion in said optical pulses.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 3, further comprising: dispersion compensating means, for reducing residual optical wave dispersion in said optical pulses.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising: beamsplitting means, optically connected to at least one of said chirped Bragg gratings, for separating optical pulses which are incident on said chirped Bragg gratings from optical pulses which are reflected from said chirped Bragg gratings.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 2, further comprising: beamsplitting means, optically connected to at least one of said chirped Bragg gratings, for separating optical pulses which are incident on said chirped Bragg gratings from optical pulses which are reflected from said chirped Bragg gratings.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
45 words
An apparatus in accordance with claim 3, further comprising: beamsplitting means, optically connected to at least one of said chirped Bragg gratings, for separating optical pulses which are incident on said chirped Bragg gratings from optical pulses which are reflected from said chirped Bragg gratings.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
90 words
A method of amplifying optical pulses comprising the steps of: providing an optical pulse; spreading the duration of said optical pulse over a period of time longer than the original duration of said optical pulse, while reducing the peak amplitude of said optical pulse to create a spread pulse; amplifying said spread pulse to create an amplified spread pulse; and recompressing said amplified spread pulse to the original shape of said optical pulse; wherein at least one of said spreading and recompressing steps is accomplished using a chirped Bragg grating.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
90 words
A method of amplifying optical pulses comprising the steps of: providing an optical pulse; spreading the duration of said optical pulse over a period of time longer than the original duration of said optical pulse, while reducing the peak amplitude of said optical pulse to create a spread pulse; amplifying said spread pulse to create an amplified spread pulse; and recompressing said amplified spread pulse to the original shape of said optical pulse; wherein at least one of said spreading and recompressing steps is accomplished using a chirped Bragg grating.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method in accordance with claim 10, wherein both of said spreading and recompressing steps are accomplished using a single chirped Bragg grating.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method in accordance with claim 10, wherein said spreading and recompressing steps are accomplished using separate chirped Bragg gratings.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method in accordance with claim 6, further comprising the step of: processing said optical pulse to reduce optical wave dispersion.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method in accordance with claim 11, further comprising the step of: processing said optical pulse to reduce optical wave dispersion.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method in accordance with claim 12, further comprising the step of: processing said optical pulse to reduce optical wave dispersion.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method in accordance with claim 10, further comprising the step of: separating optical pulses which are incident on said chirped Bragg gratings from optical pulses which are reflected from said chirped Bragg gratings.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method in accordance with claim 11, further comprising the step of: separating optical pulses which are incident on said chirped Bragg gratings from optical pulses which are reflected from said chirped Bragg gratings.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method in accordance with claim 12, further comprising the step of: separating optical pulses which are incident on said chirped Bragg gratings from optical pulses which are reflected from said chirped Bragg gratings.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5271024A
Cited
US5283686A
Cited
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