Abstract:
Apparatus for providing optical radiation (10) comprising a pump array (8) for providing pump radiation (7), a first pump combiner (1), and a waveguide (3), wherein the pump radiation (7) from the pump array (8) is coupled into the waveguide (3) via the first pump combiner (1), and wherein the waveguide (3) comprises a pump guide (4) for guiding the pump radiation (7), and a gain medium (5) which emits the optical radiation (10) when it is pumped by the pump radiation (7).
Abstract:
A fiber gain medium provided by a rare-earth doped fiber (10) is contained in a first resonant cavity by end reflectors (12, 18). The reflector (12) is wavelength selective to limit the frequency band of the first resonant cavity. The first resonant cavity also contains a second resonant enhancement cavity (16) with multiple transmission bands lying within the first resonant cavity's frequency band. Multiple standing wave modes of the first resonant cavity lie within both the frequency band of the first resonant cavity and the transmission bands of the second resonant cavity, and it is these standing wave modes that support laser action when the rare-earth doped fiber is suitably pumped by pump lasers (40).
Abstract:
Apparatus for providing optical radiation (10), which apparatus comprises a pump source (1) for providing pump radiation (2), and a brightness converter (3), the apparatus being characterised in that the brightness, converter (3) includes a substantially rigid region along at least a portion of its length.
Abstract:
Apparatus for providing optical radiation (10) comprising a pump array (8) for providing pump radiation (7), a first pump combiner (1), and a waveguide (3), wherein the pump radiation (7) from the pump array (8) is coupled into the waveguide (3) via the first pump combiner (1), and wherein the waveguide (3) comprises a pump guide (4) for guiding the pump radiation (7), and a gain medium (5) which emits the optical radiation (10) when it is pumped by the pump radiation (7).
Abstract:
A beam transformer (30) changes the aspect ratio of the transverse spatial intensity profile I(x,y) of a light beam, the beam transformer comprising first and second rotationally symmetrical curved reflecting surfaces (14, 18) so arranged that the beam is reflected from the first curved surface (14) and subsequently by the second curved surface (18), the first reflecting surface (14) being tilted, with respect to the local propagation direction z of the beam (12), substantially about the local transverse x axis of the beam, and the second reflecting surface (18) being tilted, with respect to the local propagation direction z of the beam (16), substantially about the orthogonal local transverse y axis of the beam (16). The beam transformer can be used to change a laser beam from one with a highly asymmetric transverse intensity distribution (eg a highly elliptical beam profile (10; 60)) into one with a substantially axially-symmetric transverse intensity distribution (eg a circular beam profile (22)) or vice versa. One important example of such an application is a solid-state laser or semiconductor laser with a highly asymmetric gain medium. The beam transformer may be used within a laser resonator or external to the laser.
Abstract:
An optical fibre is heated and twisted so that the resulting optical fibre has a core that inclines at an angle with the longitudinal axis. The angled core (12) may be located at an end-facet (18) of the optical fibre and used to control the feedback of light reflected from that end-facet. In this way, the angled core may be used to suppress feedback for applications such as superluminescent sources or fibre amplifiers, or may be used to control the feedback for applications such as optical fibre lasers. Alternatively, the angled core may be used to attenuate certain modes propagating within the core.
Abstract:
An acousto-optic modulator in a ring laser consists of a transducer (10) bonded to a deflection medium (11). The deflection medium is a laser-acted medium which, in use, acts as the gain medium of the laser. Acoustic waves are induced in the deflection medium (11) to effect deflection of light transmitted therethrough. The modulator can, thus, be formed in unitary fashion with the gain medium of the ring laser producing a robust and stable device.
Abstract:
A laser device comprising a pump source (10) operable to generate a pump beam (11) for a resonant cavity in which a laser medium (74) is arranged. A beam- shaping waveguide element (18) is arranged between the purnp source and the resonant cavity. Shaping of the pump beam is achieved by tailoring the refractive index profile of the waveguide element (18) so that it yields an intensity distribution which spatially overlaps a desired ring-shaped Laguerre - Gaussian mode of the resonant cavity sufficiently well to achieve laser oscillation on said desired Laguerre - Gaussian mode. A ring-shaped or doughnut - shaped laser beam profile can thus be generated. It is further possible to design the refractive index profile (76) so that the pump beam's intensity distribution also spatially overlaps the fundamental mode of the resonant cavity sufficiently well to achieve laser oscillation also on said fundamental mode. The laser will then lase on both the fundamental mode and the selected Laguerre - Gaussian mode. This is useful for producing a variety of beam profiles based on mixing a Gaussian profile with a ring-shaped profile. A top-hat beam profile can be achieved by such mixing.
Abstract:
A ring laser (10) incorporates a laser rod (R) with end faces (R1, R2). The first face (R1) is coated for high reflectivity at the laser wavelength and the second (R2) for high transmission at this wavelength. The first face (R1) provides one cavity end mirror, and a concave mirror (M1) spaced apart from the rod (R) provides the other. A rhombic prism (P) between the rod (R) and mirror (M1) defines differing (figure of eight) forward and return paths (14 to 17, 18 to 21) for cavity radiation passing from one end mirror (R1 or M1) to the other and returning. The prism (P) presents Brewster's angle refracting surfaces. The second rod face (R2) is tilted to produce an optical path in two planes. A magnetic field (B) along the rod axis (Ra) produces Faraday rotation of polarization. This counteracts rotation arising from non-coplanar optics for one direction of propagation around the laser cavity (10) but not the other. This produces unidirectional laser action.