Compensated, SBS-free optical beam amplification and delivery apparatus and method
US5208699A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 20, 1991 |
| Grant date | May 4, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 20, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S3/10076
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An optical beam amplification and delivery system and method employs a central station with a laser oscillator, a laser amplifier and a phase conjugate mirror (PCM). Low power, near diffraction limited laser beams are delivered to each of a plurality of local stations through single-mode polarization preserving fibers. From the local stations the low power beams are transmitted back to the central station through high power multi-mode optical fibers. At the central station the received beams are amplified, phase conjugated and transmitted back through the amplifier and multi-mode fibers to their respective local stations. Distortions imposed upon the beams by the multi-mode fibers during transmission back to the central station, and by the amplifier, are compensated during the return path, providing high power yet near diffraction limited beam quality at the local stations. Attenuation through stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) is inhibited by selecting an appropriate aggregate diameter for the multi-mode fibers.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.