Imra America, Inc.

Kevin F Lee

Martin E Fermann

A pulse transformer for modifying the amplitude and phase of short optical pulses includes a pulse source and an adaptively controlled stretcher or compressor including at least one fiber Bragg grating (FBG) configured to receive pulses from the pulse source and having a first second-order dispersion parameter (D). The pulse transformer further includes at least one optical amplifier configured to receive pulses from the FBG and a compressor configured to receive pulses from the at least one optical amplifier. The compressor has a second second-order dispersion parameter (−D), an absolute value of the first second-order dispersion parameter (|D|) and an absolute value of the second second-order dispersion parameter (|−D|) that are substantially equal to one another to within 10%.

Precision light source

In an example amplifier system, an input pulse train is passed through an optical stage that splits each pulse into two or more pulses. These divided pulses are then injected into at least two amplifiers for amplification. The amplified pulses are subsequently passed back through the same optical stage in order to combine the pulses back into one high energy pulse. The amplifier system can use time division multiplexing (TDM) and/or spatial division multiplexing (SDM) to produce, e.g., four pulses in conjunction with two amplifiers and propagation through two optical beam splitters, which are coherently combined into a single output pulse after amplification. The amplifiers can comprise fiber amplifiers or bulk amplifiers.

Utilization of time and spatial division multiplexing in high power ultrafast optical amplifiers

Systems and methods for stabilizing mid-infrared light generated by difference frequency mixing may include a mode locked Er fiber laser that generates pulses, which are split into a pump arm and a wavelength shifting, signal arm. Pump arm pulses are amplified in Er doped fiber. Shifting arm pulses are amplified in Er doped fiber and shifted to longer wavelengths in Raman-shifting fiber or highly nonlinear fiber, where they may be further amplified by Tm doped fiber, and then optionally further wavelength shifted. Pulses from the two arms can be combined in a nonlinear crystal such as orientation-patterned gallium phosphide, producing a mid-infrared difference frequency, as well as nonlinear combinations (e.g., sum frequency) having near infrared and visible wavelengths. Optical power stabilization can be achieved using two wavelength ranges with spectral filtering and multiple detectors acquiring information for feedback control. Controlled fiber bending can be used to stabilize optical power.

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Kevin F Lee