High power 938 nanometer fiber laser and amplifier

US7038844B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Regents of the University of California · US

Inventors

• Jay W. Dawson · Livermore, US
• Zhi Liao · Pleasanton, US
• Raymond J. Beach · Livermore, US
• Alexander D. Drobshoff · Livermore, US
• Stephen A. Payne · Castro Valley, US
• Deanna Pennington · Livermore, US
• Wolfgang Hackenberg · Hilchenbach, DE
• Domenico Bonaccini Calia · Garching bei München, DE
• Luke R. Taylor · Birkenfeld, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 29, 2003
• Grant date: May 2, 2006
• Expiry date: Mar 13, 2024

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S3/1611
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An optical fiber amplifier includes a length of silica optical fiber having a core doped with neodymium, a first cladding and a second cladding each with succeeding lower refractive indices, where the first cladding diameter is less than 10 times the diameter of the core. The doping concentration of the neodymium is chosen so that the small signal absorption for 816 nm light traveling within the core is less than 15 dB/m above the other fiber losses. The amplifier is optically pumped with one laser into the fiber core and with another laser into the first cladding.