Abstract: An optical pulse source for generating optical supercontinuum pulses comprises an optical pump laser operable to generate optical pump pulses at a pump pulse repetition rate Rf; a nonlinear optical element comprising an optical fiber for generating optical supercontinuum pulses; an optical modulator operable to selectively control the launch of pump pulses into the optical fiber at a reduced, lower repetition rate Rr=Rf/N in order to generate optical supercontinuum pulses at a selectable and lower repetition rate; an optical fiber amplifier located between the optical modulator and the optical pump laser; wherein the optical supercontinuum pulses generated by the optical fiber have a supercontinuum spanning from below 450 nm to greater than 2000 nm; wherein the optical pulse source is provided with a microprocessor configured to determine when supercontinuum pulses are delivered; and wherein the optical pulse source is configured to provide an output trigger signal.

Abstract: Variable repetition rate and wavelength optical pulse source, comprising a fixed or variable repetition rate source of supercontinuum pulses; a wavelength tunable optical bandpass filter to filter the supercontinuum pulses at two or more wavelengths, wherein said source of supercontinuum pulses and said wavelength tunable optical bandpass filter are configured such that the optical pulse source can provide variable repetition rate and variable wavelength optical pulses including a series of repetition rates with selected wavelength-varying pulse trains.

Abstract: Optical pulse source comprising optical pump laser for generating optical pump pulses at repetition rate Rf; a nonlinear optical element comprising an optical fiber for generating supercontinuum pulses; a gating device provided operable to selectively control the launch of pump pulses into the optical fiber at a reduced, lower repetition rate Rr=Rf/N in order to generate supercontinuum pulses at different user selectable repetition rates lower than the pump pulse repetition rate; first and second optical amplifiers; wavelength tunable optical bandpass filter; wherein the optical fiber can generate supercontinuum pulses having a supercontinuum spanning from below 450 nm to greater than 2000 nm; and wherein said optical pulse source comprises an all-fiber source wherein said optical pump laser comprises a fiber oscillator, said gating device comprises a fiber coupled optical modulator, and the optical pump pulses are launched into the optical fiber without the use of free space optics.

Abstract: A method of tuning the time duration of laser output pulses, the method including spectrally dispersing optical pulses and further comprising providing an optical pulse having a time duration and a spectral bandwidth; spectrally dispersing (243, 245) the optical pulse so as to provide a selected change in the time duration of the pulse responsive to the spectral band-width of the pulse; outputting (226) an optical output pulse having a first time duration that is responsive to the selected change in time duration; providing another optical pulse; changing the amount of spectral bandwidth of the another optical pulse (272) to be different than that of the optical pulse or changing the amount of spectral dispersion so that spectrally dispersing the another optical pulse provides a change in time duration that is different than the selected change; and outputting (226) another optical output pulse having a second time duration that is responsive to the different change in time duration, the second time duration

Abstract: An optical source configured for providing output light for providing input signal light or pump light can comprise pump source for pumping a four wave mixing (FWM) process with light pulses (“FWM pump light”); a FWM element in optical communication with the pump source, the FWM element configured for hosting the FWM process to generate, responsive to the FWM pump light, pulses of FWM signal light and FWM idler light having different wavelengths. The optical source can be configured such that the output light comprises pump light having a pumping wavelength or as input signal light having a gain wavelength for pumping or seeding an amplifying optical device comprising a gain material for providing optical gain. The gain material can have absorption and emission spectra defining gain and pumping wavelengths at which, respectively, the gain material is arranged in the device to provide optical gain via a process of stimulated emission responsive to being pumped.

Abstract: A high power short optical pulse source 10 can include a master oscillator 12, preamplifier 14, and pump laser 16 provided within a first enclosure 28 at a first location. The high power short optical pulse source can further include a high power fiber amplifier 20 provided within an optical head 18, which is located at a second location, remote from the first location. The optical head 18 can have a small footprint and can be positioned at the intended target of optical pulses output from the high power short optical pulse source. The large, noisy elements of the high power short optical pulse source 10 are thereby provided away from the application site of the pulses.

Abstract: An optical source can include a remote optical head for outputting high power short optical pulses. The optical source can include signal source operable to output short optical pulses; an optical pump light source; an optical head provided at a location remote from the location of the optical signal source; and an optical fibre amplifier having at least its optical output located within the optical head. The source can also include an optical signal delivery fibre arranged to deliver optical pulses from the optical signal source to the optical fibre amplifier and a pump light delivery fibre arranged to deliver optical pump light to the high power optical fibre amplifier.

Abstract: A source of femtosecond laser pulses (50) comprising a 980 nm picosecond seed pulse source (12), a Ytterbium (Yb) doped fibre amplifier (14) operating in the three-level regime, a passive air-clad fibre (52) and a pulse compressor (16). The seed pulses are spectrally broadened due to self phase modulation (SPM) in the air-clad Yb doped fibre (18) and further broadened due to SPM in the passive core of the passive air-clad fibre (52), to produce sufficient spectral broadening to allow the pulses to be compressed in the dispersion compensator (16) into femtosecond pulses. The Yb doped fibre may have a phosphosilicate host composition in order to mitigate photodarkening.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a high power short optical pulse source 10 comprising a master oscillator 12 and a Ytterbium doped fibre amplifier (YDFA) preamplifier 14, a pump light source 16, an optical head 18, high power optical fibre amplifier means 20, an optical signal delivery fibre 22, and a pump light delivery fibre 24. The master oscillator 12, preamplifier 14, and pump laser 16, together with their associated drive and control electronics, and cooling systems, are provided within a first enclosure 28 at a first location. The high power fibre amplifier means 20 comprises a Ytterbium doped amplifier fibre and a pump signal combiner. The high power fibre amplifier means 20 is provided within the optical head 18, which is located at a second location, remote from the first location. The optical head 18 has a small footprint and can be positioned at the intended target of the optical pulses.

Abstract: The present invention relates to protecting optical devices, such as an optical fibre sensor connected in series with a cable, from a hostile environment, such as encountered when making measurements in oil and gas wells. A liquid can protect the optical device. Packaging an optical fibre sensor inside a capillary containing the liquid can provide this protection. The liquid can be liquid metal, gel, inks, grease or oil. The liquid metal can be gallium or indium, or an alloy that includes indium and/or gallium. The grease can contain lithium, molybdenum, or synthetics, or be synthetic grease. The liquid can contain other components such as a scavenger or getter for molecules and/or ions.