Amoco Corporation

Stephen G Grubb

Douglas W Anthon

Janet E Townsend

William L Barnes

Methods and appartus for upconverting laser sources and amplifiers that use solid state components throughout and achieve such operation with a continuous or quasi-continuous single band infrared pumping source using successive energy transfers between the pumping radiation and activator in the host of the lasant upconversion material under ordinary operating conditions.

Optical fiber rare earth ion upconversion laser system

An optical fiber for amplifying or sourcing a light signal in a single transverse mode. The fiber comprises a host glass doped with erbium (Er) and a sensitizer such as ytterbium (Yb) or iron (Fe). Preferably the host glass is doped silicic glass (e.g., phosphate or borate doped). Electrical energy is provided to diode lasers that pump the Nd laser rod, which in turn pumps the fiber. Such a configuration for pumping the fiber provides a high energy transfer from the diodes to the Nd laser rod, which in turn enables high pumping powers to be coupled into the single-mode co-doped fiber. Based on the amplification characteristics of the co-doped fiber and the efficient coupling of power from the laser diodes, the amplifier provides power and small signal gains comparable to the best observed, while requiring only conventional and readily available diode-based pump sources.

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DuPage, IL, United States of America

Stephen G Grubb