Bragg grating-based laser

US6597711B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• CiDRA Corporation · US

Inventors

• Mark R. Fernald · Enfield, US
• Timothy J. Bailey · Longmeadow, US
• Matthew B. Miller · Glastonbury, US
• James M. Sullivan · Manchester, US
• Michael A. Davis · Redwood City, US
• Robert N. Brucato · Waterbury, US
• Martin A. Putnam · Cheshire, US
• Alan D. Kersey · Burke, US
• Paul E. Sanders · Madison, US
• Jon Thomas Kringlebotn · Trondheim, NO

Key dates

• Filing date: May 16, 2002
• Grant date: Jul 22, 2003
• Expiry date: May 16, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S3/1055
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A compression-tuned Bragg grating-based laser 800 includes a pair of optical grating elements 802,804 wherein at least one of the grating elements is tunable by a compression device 812,814. The grating elements may include either an optical fiber 10 having at least one Bragg grating 12 impressed therein encased within and fused to at least a portion of a glass capillary tube 20 or a large diameter waveguide grating element 600 having a core and a wide cladding. The tunable grating element(s) 802,804 are axially compressed, which causes a shift in the reflection wavelength of the gratings 807,809 without buckling the element. The shape of the element may be other geometries (e.g., a “dogbone” shape) and/or more than one grating or pair of gratings may be used and more than one fiber 10 or core 612 may be used. A gain element, such as Erbium doped fiber, is optical disposed between the grating elements to provide the lasing cavity.