Fianium Limited

Trumpf Laser Uk. Limited

Spi Lasers UK Limited

Christophe Andre Codemard

John Redvers Clowes

Malcolm Paul Varnham

Pascal Dupriez

Mikhail Nickolaos Zervas

Iain Botheroyd

Paulo Almeida

Andrew Malinowski

Stephen John Keen

Anatoly Borisovich Grudinin

Michael Kevan Durkin

Adam Devine

Philip Michael Gorman

Apparatus for laser processing a material (), comprising a laser (), an optical fibre (), and a coupler (), wherein: the laser () is connected to the optical fibre (); the optical fibre () is a multimode optical fibre having a first optical mode () having a first mode order (), a second optical mode () having a second mode order (), and a third optical mode () having a third mode order (); the third mode order () is higher than the second mode order () which is higher than the first mode order (); the coupler () switches laser radiation propagating in the first optical mode () to laser radiation propagating in the second optical mode (); and the coupler () switches the laser radiation propagating in the second optical mode () to laser radiation propagating in the third optical mode ().

Apparatus and method for laser processing a material

Apparatus for providing optical radiation (), which apparatus comprises an optical input (), a coupler (), a first semiconductor amplifier (), a controller (), a preamplifier (), a power amplifier () and an output fibre (), wherein: the optical input () is for receiving input optical radiation (); the optical input () is connected in series to the coupler (), the first semiconductor amplifier (), the preamplifier (), the power amplifier (), and the output fibre (); the apparatus being characterized in that: the first semiconductor amplifier () comprises a waveguide () having a low reflecting facet (); the first semiconductor amplifier () is in a double pass configuration such that the low reflecting facet () is connected to both the optical input () and the preamplifier () via the coupler (); and the controller () is configured to cause the waveguide () of the first semiconductor amplifier () to operate in saturation thereby enabling the first semiconductor amplifier () to reduce non-linear effects in the preamplifier (), the power amplifier (), and the output fibre ().

Apparatus for providing optical radiation

An apparatus for laser processing a material including an optical fibre, at least one squeezing mechanism, and a lens. The optical fibre is a multimode optical fibre in which laser radiation propagates in a first optical mode and in a second optical mode. The squeezing mechanism includes at least one periodic surface defined by a pitch. The periodic surface is located adjacent to the optical fibre. The pitch couples the first and second optical modes together. The first optical mode is defined by a first mode order. The second optical mode is defined by a second mode order which is higher than the first mode order. The squeezing mechanism squeezes the periodic surface and optical fibre together with a squeezing force thereby coupling the first optical mode to the second optical mode.

Apparatus for providing optical radiation (), which apparatus comprises a laser diode (), a pulse generator (), and a modulator (), wherein: the pulse generator () is configured to emit picosecond pulses; the modulator () is configured to emit nanosecond pulses; the laser diode () has a first terminal () and a second terminal (); the pulse generator () is connected to the first terminal (); and the modulator () is configured to bias the laser diode () below a lasing threshold () of the laser diode (), and the apparatus being characterized in that: the modulator () is connected to the second terminal (); the pulse generator () comprises a semiconductor junction () connected to a differentiator (); the semiconductor junction () is such that electric current flowing through the semiconductor junction () can be turned off more quickly than it can be turned on; and the differentiator () is such that a step change that occurs when the electric current flowing through the semiconductor junction () is turned off is converted to an electrical pulse, thereby gain switching the laser diode () such that it emits an optical pulse () having an optical pulse width () less than 10 ns.

Apparatus and method for providing optical radiation

A pulsed fiber laser apparatus for outputting picosecond laser pulses can comprise a fiber delivered pulsed seed laser for providing picosecond optical seed pulses, and at least one optical fiber amplifier in optical communication with the fiber delivered pulsed seed laser. The optical fiber amplifier can comprise a gain optical fiber that receives and optically amplifies picosecond optical pulses by operating in a nonlinear regime wherein the picosecond optical pulses can be spectrally broadened by a factor of at least 8 during amplification thereof. The apparatus can further comprise a pulse compressor apparatus in optical communication with the optical fiber amplifier for providing compressed picosecond optical pulses. The pulse compressor apparatus can provide a dispersion of at least 50 ps/nm and can provide a compression ratio of the time duration of the picoseconds optical pulses received by the pulse compressor apparatus to the time duration of the compressed picosecond optical pulses of no greater than about 50.

Methods and apparatus pertaining to picosecond pulsed fiber based lasers

A broadband light source (e.g., an optical supercontinuum apparatus), can comprise a pump laser; a non-linear optical element configured for generating spectrally broadened light generated responsive to receiving pump laser pulses and one or more non-linear processes; an optical output for delivering spectrally broadened light to a target; a length of optical waveguide optically upstream of the output and in optical communication therewith; and a sensor apparatus. The length of optical waveguide can comprise at least a first waveguiding region configured for propagating spectrally broadened light in a forward direction toward the output and can be further configured for receiving backward propagating light responsive to the forward propagating light. The sensor apparatus can be configured for optical communication with the length of optical waveguide so as to sense the backward propagating light propagated by the length of optical waveguide. Methods for operating and using such broadband light source are disclosed, as are applications of the methods and apparatus.

Methods and apparatus pertaining to the use and generation of broadband light

A supercontinuum optical source comprises a laser source apparatus comprising at least one laser, the laser source apparatus configured for providing first and second signals; a modulator apparatus downstream of at least one laser of the laser source apparatus for modulating at least one of the first and second signals, the modulator apparatus including at least one modulator; a combiner downstream of the modulator apparatus for combining the first and second signals; an amplifier downstream of the combiner for amplifying the first and second signals after combination; a nonlinear element downstream of the amplifier for receiving the first and second signals after amplification, the nonlinear optical element providing spectral broadening responsive to the first signal and wherein the second signal does not substantially contribute to spectral broadening; and an output for outputting spectrally broadened light from the optical supercontinuum source.

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Eastleigh, United Kingdom

Christophe Andre Codemard