Optical channel waveguide amplifier

Claim 2

An optical waveguide comprising: a core of active material exhibiting optical fluorescence when stimulated, said core having a propagation axis extending from an input surface to an output surface, said input surface intersecting said propagation axis at a non-orthogonal angle; a cladding at least partially surrounding said core; and wherein said input surface allows both an optical signal and a pump to be combined thereat and concurrently input to said core where said optical signal undergoes amplification by stimulated emissions of said active material driven by said pump.

Claim 3

The optical waveguide of claim 1 , wherein said active material comprises a first material having a first index of refraction, and wherein said cladding comprises a second material having a second index of refraction, said second index of refraction being lower than said first index of refraction.

Claim 4

The optical waveguide of claim 2 , wherein said first material and said second material comprise dissimilar materials.

Claim 5

The optical waveguide of claim 2 , further comprising a prism attached to said angled input surface of said core, said prism allowing inputting of said optical signal collinear with said propagation axis of said core, said prism having an index of refraction similar to said first index of refraction of said active material comprising said core.

Claim 6

The optical waveguide of claim 4 , further in combination with signal delivery optics in optical proximity to said angled input surface of said core with said prism attached thereto, said signal delivery optics being adapted to focus said optical signal into said core through said prism and said angled input surface.

Claim 7

The optical waveguide of claim 1 , wherein said non-orthogonal angle comprises approximately a 45° angle.

Claim 8

The optical waveguide of claim 1 , wherein said optical waveguide comprises a channel waveguide.

Claim 9

The optical waveguide of claim 7 , wherein said channel waveguide comprises one of a crystal, a rare-earth doped glass, a rare-earth based deposited film, a polymer, and an optically/electrically pumped semiconductor.

Claim 10

The optical waveguide of claim 8 , wherein said channel waveguide comprises neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet.

Claim 11

The optical waveguide of claim 1 , wherein said input surface has a first coating thereon, said first coating being anti-reflective of said optical signal for input of said optical signal into said core through said first coating, and reflective of said pump for reflection of said pump into said core from an angle to said propagation axis.

Claim 12

The optical waveguide of claim 1 , further comprising a first coating disposed over said input surface of said core at a first end of said optical waveguide and a second coating disposed over said output surface of said core at a second end of said optical waveguide, wherein said first coating is anti-reflective of said optical signal at a predetermined signal wavelength and reflective said pump at a predetermined pump wavelength, and wherein said second coating is anti-reflective of an amplified optical signal to be output from said optical waveguide.

Claim 13

The optical waveguide of claim 11 , wherein said angled input surface comprises an approximately 45° angled surface to said propagation axis, and wherein said output surface is approximately orthogonal to said propagation axis.

Claim 14

The optical waveguide of claim 12 , further comprising a prism adhered to said first coating disposed over said input surface, said prism having an index of refraction similar to an index of refraction of said active material comprising said core for allowing inputting of said optical signal collinear with said propagation axis of said core.

Claim 15

An optical amplifier comprising: an optical waveguide having a first end and a second end, and including: a core of active material exhibiting optical fluorescence when stimulated, said core having a propagation axis extending from an input surface at said first end to an output surface at said second end of said optical waveguide, said input surface intersecting said propagation axis at an non-orthogonal angle; a cladding at least partially surrounding said core; wherein said input surface allows both an optical signal and a pump to be concurrently input to said core where said optical signal undergoes amplification by stimulated emissions of said active material driven by said pump; a first coating disposed over said angled input surface of said core at said first end of said optical waveguide, said first coating being anti-reflective of said optical signal at a predetermined signal wavelength and reflective of said pump at a predetermined pump wavelength; signal delivery optics disposed in optical proximity to said first end of said optical waveguide for focusing said optical signal into said core through said first coating over said input surface of said optical waveguide; and pump delivery optics disposed near said first end of said optical waveguide and at an angle to said propagation axis of said core, said pump delivery optics focusing said pump for reflection off said first coating at said input surface of said core wherein said pump enters said core from an angle to said propagation axis.

Claim 16

An optical amplifier comprising: an optical waveguide having a first end and a second end, and including: a core of active material exhibiting optical fluorescence when stimulated, said core having a propagation axis extending from an input surface at said first end to an output surface at said second end of said optical waveguide, said input surface intersecting said propagation axis at an non-orthogonal angle; a cladding at least partially surrounding said core; wherein said input surface allows both an optical signal and a pump to be concurrently input to said core where said optical signal undergoes amplification by stimulated emissions of said active material driven by said pump; a first coating disposed over said angled input surface of said core at said first end of said optical waveguide, said first coating being anti-reflective of said optical signal at a predetermined signal wavelength and reflective of said pump at a predetermined pump wavelength; signal delivery optics disposed in optical proximity to said first end of said optical waveguide for focusing said optical signal into said core through said first coating over said input surface of said optical waveguide; and pump delivery optics disposed near said first end of said optical waveguide and at an angle to said propagation axis of said core, said pump delivery optics focusing said pump for reflection off said first coating at said input surface of said core wherein said pump enters said core from an angle to said propagation axis.

Claim 17

The optical amplifier of claim 14 , further comprising signal recovery optics disposed in optical proximity to said second end of said optical waveguide for recovering an amplified optical signal emitted from said optical waveguide.

Claim 18

The optical amplifier of claim 15 , wherein said optical signal is fed to said signal delivery optics via a single mode optical fiber, said pump is fed to said pump delivery optics via one of a single-mode or multi-mode optical fiber, and said signal recovery optics provide said amplified optical signal emitted from said optical waveguide to a single mode optical fiber.

Claim 19

The optical amplifier of claim 14 , wherein said optical waveguide comprises a channel waveguide comprising one of a crystal, a rare-earth doped glass, a rare-earth based deposited film, a polymer, and an optically/electrically pumped semiconductor.

Claim 20

The optical amplifier of claim 17 , wherein said channel waveguide comprises a neodymium-doped material, and wherein said predetermined signal wavelength is in a range of 1290-1330 nm, and said predetermined pump wavelength is approximately 808 nm.

Claim 21

The optical amplifier of claim 14 , further comprising a prism attached to said optical waveguide at said first end of said optical waveguide over said first coating on said angled input surface of said core, said prism having an index of refraction similar to an index of refraction of said active material comprising said core, and wherein said signal delivery optics comprise optics adapted to focus said optical signal through said prism and said first coating into said core of said optical waveguide collinear with said propagation axis.

Claim 22

The optical amplifier of claim 14 , further comprising a second coating disposed over said second end of said optical waveguide, said second coating being anti-reflective of an amplified optical signal emitted from said optical waveguide through said output surface of said core.

Claim 23

The optical amplifier of claim 14 , wherein said non-orthogonal angle comprises approximately a 45° angle, and said optical waveguide comprises a channel waveguide.

Claim 26

The method of claim 22 , wherein said inputting of said optical signal comprises focusing said optical signal into said core through said first coating and said input surface, and wherein said inputting of said pump comprises focusing said pump into said core by reflecting said pump off said first coating at said input surface of said core.

Claim 27

The method of claim 22 , wherein said core comprises a multi-mode channel, and wherein said inputting of said optical signal comprises delivering said optical signal into said core at a fundamental mode of said multi-mode channel, and said inputting of said pump comprises delivering said pump into said core at said fundamental mode of said multi-mode channel.

Claim 28

The method of claim 22 , further comprising providing a prism disposed over said first coating at said input surface of said core, and wherein said inputting of said optical signal comprises inputting said optical signal into said core through said prism, said first coating and said input surface in a direction collinear with said propagation axis of said core.

Claim 29

The method of claim 22 , further comprising outputting an amplified optical signal at said second end of said optical waveguide, and collecting said amplified optical signal output from said optical waveguide for transmission within a single mode fiber optic.

Claim 30

The optical waveguide of claim 3 , wherein said first material and said second material are structurally and/or chemically distinct having been separately fabricated as physically different materials and brought together during waveguide assembly.

Claim 31

The optical waveguide of claim 27 , wherein said first and second material are adhesively attached in said waveguide.

Claim 32

The optical waveguide of claim 8 , wherein said core comprises a doped phosphate glass.

Claim 33

The optical waveguide of claim 1 , in combination with a fiber optic communications amplifier.

Claim 34

The combination of claim 30 , wherein said core comprises a multi-mode channel waveguide, the combination further comprising signal delivery optics and signal recovery optics for focusing said optical signal into and out of said optical waveguide respectively, wherein said optical signal is fed to said signal delivery optics via a single mode optical fiber, said pump is supplied to pump delivery optics and is multi-mode, and said signal recovery optics provide said amplified optical signal emitted from said optical waveguide to a single mode optical fiber.

Claim 35

The optical amplifier of claim 31 , wherein said optical signal is in the 1300 nm wavelength region.

Claim 36

The optical amplifier of claim 15 , comprising a fiber optic communications amplifier.

Claim 37

The optical amplifier of claim 33 , wherein said core comprises a multi-mode channel waveguide, and wherein said optical signal is fed to said signal delivery optics via a single mode optical fiber, said pump is fed to said pump delivery optics and is multi-mode, and said signal recovery optics provide said amplified optical signal emitted from said optical waveguide to a single mode optical fiber.

Claim 38

The optical amplifier of claim 34 , wherein said optical signal is in the 1300 nm wavelength region.

Claim 39

The optical waveguide of claim 17 , wherein said core comprises a doped phosphate glass.

Claim 40

The optical amplifier of claim 14 , wherein said core and cladding comprise dissimilar materials.

Claim 41

The optical amplifier of claim 37 , wherein said core and cladding are structurally and/or chemically distinct having been separately fabricated as physically different materials and brought together during assembly.

Claim 42

The optical amplifier of claim 38 , wherein said first and second material are adhesively attached in said waveguide.

Claim 43

The method of claim 22 , wherein said inputting said optical signal includes using signal delivery optics in optical proximity to said optical waveguide for focusing said optical signal into said core through said first coating over said input surface of said optical waveguide; and wherein said inputting said pump includes using pump delivery optics disposed near said optical waveguide and at an angle to said propagation axis of said core, said pump delivery optics focusing said pump for reflection off said first coating and into said core at said input surface.

Claim 44

The method of claim 40 , wherein said optical signal is a fiber optic communications signal, wherein said core comprises a multi-mode channel waveguide, and wherein said optical signal is fed to said signal delivery optics via a single mode optical fiber, said pump is fed to said pump delivery optics and is multi-mode, the method further comprising: using signal recovery optics to provide said amplified optical signal emitted from said optical waveguide to a single mode optical fiber.

Claim 45

The method of claim 41 , wherein said optical signal is in the 1300 nm wavelength region.

Claim 46

The method of claim 22 , wherein said core and cladding comprise dissimilar materials.

Claim 47

The method of claim 43 , wherein said core and cladding are structurally and/or chemically distinct having been separately fabricated as physically different materials and brought together during assembly.

Claim 48

The method of claim 44 , wherein said first and second material are adhesively attached in said waveguide.