Broad-area MOPA device with leaky waveguide beam expander
US5349602A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 15, 1993 |
| Grant date | Sep 20, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 15, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S5/50
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A coherent light source, such as a laser oscillator and a monolithic MOPA device, and a broad area light amplifying device, all characterized by having a leaky waveguide beam expander coupled thereto for expanding a single mode beam into a wide light beam in a coherent manner. The beam expander comprises an elongated antiguide core of a first refractive index and a radiated-wave receiving region of a higher refractive index to receive lightwaves laterally radiated from the antiguide core. This beam expander can be located at an output end of a single mode laser oscillator to receive and expand the beam, at an input end of a broad area optical power amplifier to allow the amplifier to accept a narrow input beam, or between the laser oscillator and power amplifier in a MOPA device. The beam expander elements can also be located partially or entirely within the resonant optical cavity of a laser oscillator.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.