High Power Chirally Coupled Core Optical Amplification Systems and Methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016013607-A1
Application number	US-201414329484-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 11, 2014
Priority date	Jul 11, 2014
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An optical amplification system is disclosed which includes a seed source providing a seed beam, and a chirally coupled core fiber amplifier optically coupled to the seed beam and configured to convert the coupled seed beam into an amplifier output beam, wherein the polarization of the seed beam is controllably launched into the chirally coupled core fiber in order to reduce nonlinearities in the amplifier output beam. Peak output powers in excess of 500 kW can be realized for short-pulsed single-mode beams having mode field diameters greater than 30 μm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An optical amplification system, comprising:
a seed source providing a seed beam, the seed beam having a predetermined polarization state; and a chirally coupled core fiber amplifier optically coupled to the seed beam having the predetermined polarization state, the chirally coupled core fiber amplifier being situated to convert the coupled seed beam into an amplifier output beam with reduced nonlinearities due to the predetermined polarization state optically coupled to the chirally coupled core fiber amplifier.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a polarization controller optically coupled between said seed source and said chirally coupled core fiber amplifier and configured to provide the controllably launched polarization of the seed beam into said chirally coupled core fiber amplifier.

3 . The system of claim 1 wherein said chirally coupled core fiber amplifier is coiled.

4 . The system of claim 3 wherein the polarization of the seed beam is linear and is launched into said chirally coupled core fiber amplifier at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to a birefringent axis thereof.

5 . The system of claim 1 wherein the seed beam is launched into said chirally coupled core fiber amplifier with a circular polarization.

6 . The system of claim 1 wherein the seed beam is launched into said chirally coupled core fiber amplifier with an elliptical polarization.

7 . The system of claim 2 wherein said polarization controller is a variable polarization controller.

8 . The system of claim 1 wherein said polarization controller is a variable polarization controller with dynamic feedback.

9 . The system of claim 2 wherein said polarization controller is an in-line optical isolator providing a polarization adjustable output.

10 . The system of claim 2 wherein said polarization controller is piezoelectrically controlled.

11 . The system of claim 1 wherein the amplifier output beam is substantially single-mode and has a peak power of about 250 kW or greater.

12 . The system of claim 1 wherein the amplifier output beam has a polarization extinction ratio of 3 dB or greater.

13 . The system of claim 1 wherein the amplifier output beam has a stable polarization state.

14 . The system of claim 1 further comprising a nonlinear optical element optically coupled to the amplifier output beam for converting the optical frequency thereof.

15 . A high power master oscillator fiber amplifier system, comprising:
a master oscillator seed source providing a seed beam having a predetermined polarization state; and a chirally coupled core fiber amplifier optically coupled to the seed beam having the predetermined polarization state, the chirally coupled core fiber amplifier being situated to provide an amplified output beam and being coiled at a coiled radius and having a pair of orthogonal birefringence axes associated with the coiling of the chirally coupled core fiber amplifier; wherein the predetermined polarization state of the seed beam coupled into said chirally coupled fiber amplifier is situated to reduce nonlinearities in the amplified output beam.

16 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising:
a polarization controller configured to select a polarization state of the seed beam for coupling into said chirally coupled core fiber amplifier.

17 . The system of claim 16 wherein said polarization controller is an in-line optical isolator providing a polarization adjustable output.

18 . The system of claim 15 wherein the amplified output beam is substantially single-mode and has a peak power of about 450 kW or greater.

19 . A method of optical amplification with a chirally coupled core fiber, comprising:
emitting a seed beam from a seed source; coupling a predetermined polarization state of the seed beam into a chirally coupled core fiber amplifier in order to optimize the amplified output thereof; and amplifying the coupled seed beam with the chirally coupled core amplifier.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the predetermined polarization state of the seed beam is linear and the linearly polarized seed beam is coupled into the chirally coupled core amplifier at 45 degrees with respect to a birefringent axis thereof.

21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the predetermined polarization state of the seed beam is circular.

22 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the predetermined polarization state of the seed beam is elliptical.

23 . The method of claim 19 wherein the predetermined polarization state is controlled by selecting a splice orientation between the chirally coupled core fiber amplifier and an input fiber providing the seed beam thereto.

24 . The method of claim 19 further comprising:
detecting one or more nonlinear characteristics of the amplified output beam; and
adjusting the seed beam predetermined polarization state coupled to the chirally coupled core fiber amplifier based on the detected nonlinear characteristics in order to reduce the same.

25 . The method of claim 19 wherein the coupled polarization is dynamically controlled based on a power level of the amplified output.

26 . The method of claim 19 further comprising:
frequency converting the amplified output beam with a nonlinear optical element.

Assignees

• Nlight Photonics Corp

Inventors

• Mccomb Timothy S
• Farrow Roger L

Classifications

• H01S3/06704

  Housings; Packages · CPC title

• H01S3/109

  Frequency multiplication, e.g. harmonic generation · CPC title

• H01S3/10084

  Frequency control by seeding · CPC title

• H01S3/06729 Primary

  Peculiar transverse fibre profile · CPC title

• H01S3/06754 Primary

  Fibre amplifiers (H01S3/06708 takes precedence) · CPC title