Abstract: A chirped pulse amplification (CPA) system and method is described wherein the dispersion of the system is tuned by actively tuning one or more system components, for example, using a temperature or strain gradient, or using actinic radiation. In other embodiments, an additional element, such as a modulator, is added to the CPA system to actively to tune the pulse. A pulse monitor is added to the system to measure an output pulse and provide feedback to one or more active tuning elements.

Abstract: A chirped pulse amplification (CPA) system and method is described wherein a pulse selector is added after a final amplifier in the system. The pulse selector is configured to select amplified pulses such that the system output repetition rate of the CPA system is below an ASE-limiting repetition rate of the amplifiers. The system may also comprise pulse pickers placed before the final amplifier to control pulse energy of the amplified pulses.

Abstract: The high-power-optical-amplifier of the present invention uses a number of spaced, thin slabs (e.g., disc-shaped doped-slabs that are stacked, with a space between discs), aligned to give an amplifier both with a high active cross-section and a very high surface area to volume ratio. More specifically, the present invention provides several methods that include the steps of aligning at least two or four slabs having a thickness dimension of less than one centimeter, substantially parallel to, and spaced from adjacent slabs, wherein the slab surfaces are rendered essentially non-reflective, optically pumping the slabs and passing an input beam through the surfaces wherein the beam is optically amplified in the slabs, and wherein the input beam is of an eye-safe wavelength.

Abstract: The present invention generally concerns the use of Bragg optical fibers in chirped pulse amplification systems for the production of high-pulse-energy ultrashort optical pulses. A gas-core Bragg optical fiber waveguide can be advantageously used in such systems to stretch the duration of pulses so that they can be amplified, and/or Bragg fibers can be used to compress optical signals into much shorter duration pulses after they have been amplified. Bragg fibers can also function as near-zero-dispersion delay lines in amplifier sections.

Abstract: A chirped pulse amplification (CPA) system and method is described wherein the pulse is stretched using multiple passes through a Bragg grating or compressed using multiple passes through a Bragg grating. A switch may be used to control the number of passes through the Bragg grating, thus, tuning the compressed or the stretched pulse width. The pulse may be directed through an amplifier between the multiple passes through the Bragg grating to apply amplification to the stretched pulse multiple times. The Bragg grating may include a fiber Bragg grating, a volume Bragg grating, or a Bragg waveguide.

Abstract: Optical systems configured for both changing the length of a laser pulse and operating as an optical isolator are disclosed. In some embodiments, optical isolation is achieve contemporaneously with laser pulse expansion or compression by using a grating based compressor or expander as one of the polarization elements of the optical isolator. In some embodiments, optical isolation is achieved contemporaneously with laser pulse expansion or compression by using a mode converter and a Bragg fiber as one of the polarization elements of the optical isolator. In some embodiments, a sub-wavelength polarizer including magnetic garnet is included in the optical isolator.

Abstract: Methods for optical isolation in high peak power fiber-optic systems prevent damage to a facet within a fiber-optic isolator caused by back-reflected light from, for example, an optical amplifier. Preventing damage to the facet may include expanding a mode area of the back-reflected light and/or reducing a change in refractive index.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method of fabricating an optically-pumped disk-array solid-state laser amplifier having one or more disks, wherein one or more of the one or more disks having two opposed surfaces, including the steps of patterning a photoresist mask on one or more of the two opposed surfaces of the one or more disks and processing the one or more disks through the patterned photoresist mask, whereby the temperature profile improved radially across the disk's surface, amplified spontaneous emission are reduced, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: The present invention includes a method of surgical material removal from a body by optical-ablation with controlled pulse energy from an amplifier including inputting an ablation-threshold-pulse-energy-for-material-being-ablated signal; controlling the energy of a pulse and the pulse repetition rate and by knowing the type of material being removed, the system can control the removal to predetermined rate and, thus knowing the removal rate, it can know how long to run to stop at the predetermined volume.

Abstract: The present invention includes an apparatus and method of surgical ablative material removal “in-vivo” or from an outside surface with a short optical pulse that is amplified and compressed using either an optically-pumped-amplifier and air-path between gratings compressor combination or a SOA and chirped fiber compressor combination, wherein the generating, amplifying and compressing are done within a man-portable system.

Abstract: The present invention generally concerns the use of Bragg optical fibers in chirped pulse amplification systems for the production of high-pulse-energy ultrashort optical pulses. A gas-core Bragg optical fiber waveguide can be advantageously used in such systems to stretch the duration of pulses so that they can be amplified, and/or Bragg fibers can be used to compress optical signals into much shorter duration pulses after they have been amplified. Bragg fibers can also function as near-zero-dispersion delay lines in amplifier sections.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for optical isolation in high peak power fiber-optic systems prevent damage to a facet within a fiber-optic isolator caused by back-reflected light from, for example, an optical amplifier. Preventing damage to the facet may include expanding a mode area of the back-reflected light and/or reducing a change in refractive index.

Abstract: In an optical amplifier, passively wavelength-stabilized pump diodes generate pumping light to excite a gain medium (e.g., rare-earth-ion doped optical fiber or solid-state optical amplifier) near an absorption peak of the gain medium. The gain medium amplifies a pulsed laser signal coupled into the gain medium to a high peak power with minimal non-linear distortion. The gain medium may include a portion configured to receive the pumping light and another portion configured to amplify the pulsed laser signal. A volume phase hologram device may passively wavelength stabilize the pump diodes by reflecting a portion of the pumping light back to the pump diodes. Passively wavelength-stabilizing the pump diodes improves power efficiency of the optical amplifier.

Abstract: Optical systems configured for both changing the length of a laser pulse and operating as an optical isolator are disclosed. In some embodiments, optical isolation is achieve contemporaneously with laser pulse expansion or compression by using a grating based compressor or expander as one of the polarization elements of the optical isolator. In some embodiments, optical isolation is achieved contemporaneously with laser pulse expansion or compression by using a mode converter and a Bragg fiber as one of the polarization elements of the optical isolator. In some embodiments, a sub-wavelength polarizer including magnetic garnet is included in the optical isolator. In some embodiments, an optical isolator is disposed between a final pulse amplifier and a target material in order to prevent light resulting from the delivery of an amplified laser pulse to the target material from traveling back to the final pulse amplifier.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and systems for ablation based material removal configuration for use in semiconductor manufacturing that includes the steps of generating an initial wavelength-swept-with-time optical pulse in an optical pulse generator, amplifying the initial pulse, compressing the amplified pulse to a duration of less than about 10 picoseconds and applying the compressed optical pulse to the wafer surface, to remove material from, e.g., wafer surface.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of amplifying a beam of laser pulses by producing an amplified collimated beam of pulses using an amplifier, spatially spreading the amplified collimated beam of pulses into an expanded beam of pulses, introducing the expanded beam of pulses into the amplifier a second time to produce a twice amplified beam of pulses, recollimating the twice amplified beam of pulses to produce a twice amplified collimated beam of pulses such that the twice amplified collimated beam of pulses is of essentially the same cross-section as the amplifier, and introducing the twice amplified collimated beam of pulses into the amplifier a third time to produce a thrice amplified collimated beam of pulses such that the re-collimated beam sweeps essentially the entire volume of the amplifier.