The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 12, 1994
Filed:
Mar. 15, 1993
Irl N Duling, III, Round Hill, VA (US);
Ronald D Esman, Burke, VA (US);
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
A single-polarization fiber optical amplifier and corresponding method is provided capable of amplifying an optical input signal by a fiber optic amplifier constructed of fiber which may be non-polarization-maintaining. The single-polarization fiber optical amplifier provides a direction-selective coupler which receives an optical input at a first port and outputs an optical output at a second port. A fiber optic amplifier is operatively connected to the direction-selective coupler at a bidirectional port for amplifying the optical input. A retro-reflecting orthogonal polarization converter is operatively connected to the fiber optic amplifier, reflecting the amplified optical input from the fiber optic amplifier in a return direction through the fiber optic amplifier and in an orthogonal polarization to the amplified optical input. The direction-selective coupler outputs the reflected amplified orthogonal optical input at the second port as the optical output of the direction-selective coupler. Further configurations adapting the input and output ports to transmit the optical signal through cavity or other structures may be provided to produce, for example, an ultrashort pulse optical source; a single-wavelength, single-polarization, widely-tunable laser source; or an amplified spontaneous emission source.