Abstract: Method and apparatus for beam coupling.

Abstract: An optical parametric amplifier and methods for idler extraction therein. Certain examples provide a method of extracting the idler at intermediate points within the optical parametric amplifier chain to improve conversion efficiency and/or maintain high beam quality (high Strehl ratio), where the pump beam has non-uniform profile. In one example, optical parametric amplifier includes an amplifier chain having a plurality of gain stages, each gain stage including a non-linear optical crystal, the plurality of gain stages configured to receive a signal seed and a pump beam and to produce an idler and an amplified signal, the pump beam having a non-uniform spatial profile, and a plurality of idler extractors interspersed with the plurality of gain stages and configured to extract the idler from intermediate points within the amplifier chain. The idler extractors can include polarizers, beam displacer crystals, or dichroic mirrors, for example.

Abstract: An optical parametric amplifier and methods for idler extraction therein. Certain examples provide a method of extracting the idler at intermediate points within the optical parametric amplifier chain to improve conversion efficiency and/or maintain high beam quality (high Strehl ratio), where the pump beam has non-uniform profile. In one example, optical parametric amplifier includes an amplifier chain having a plurality of gain stages, each gain stage including a non-linear optical crystal, the plurality of gain stages configured to receive a signal seed and a pump beam and to produce an idler and an amplified signal, the pump beam having a non-uniform spatial profile, and a plurality of idler extractors interspersed with the plurality of gain stages and configured to extract the idler from intermediate points within the amplifier chain. The idler extractors can include polarizers, beam displacer crystals, or dichroic mirrors, for example.

Abstract: A laser system comprises a pump diode, fiber, relay optics, and a microchip laser crystal. The pump diode produces light at a first wavelength. The fiber receives the light from the pump diode and produces a round, homogeneous light spot at an output of the fiber. The relay optics receives the light from the fiber. The microchip laser crystal receives the light from the relay optics and produces a linearly polarized single frequency output at a second wavelength. The microchip laser crystal includes a first layer and a second layer. The first layer absorbs the light at the first wavelength and emits light at the second wavelength. The second layer receives the light at the second wavelength and either provides a polarization dependent loss at the second wavelength or maintains a polarization of the light at the second wavelength.

Abstract: A laser system comprises a pump diode, fiber, relay optics, and a microchip laser crystal. The pump diode produces light at a first wavelength. The fiber receives the light from the pump diode and produces a round, homogeneous light spot at an output of the fiber. The relay optics receives the light from the fiber. The microchip laser crystal receives the light from the relay optics and produces a linearly polarized single frequency output at a second wavelength. The microchip laser crystal includes a first layer and a second layer. The first layer absorbs the light at the first wavelength and emits light at the second wavelength. The second layer receives the light at the second wavelength and either provides a polarization dependent loss at the second wavelength or maintains a polarization of the light at the second wavelength.

Abstract: A laser includes a pump source that provides pump energy at a first wavelength and a laser cavity. The laser cavity includes a laser gain medium that receives the pump energy from the pump source and creates gain at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength, and a mode stripping portion coupled to the laser gain medium. The mode stripping portion causes the laser cavity to have a low Fresnel number so as to allow only the lowest-order fiber mode to resonate in the laser cavity. Higher-order fiber modes are discriminated against so as to generate a laser output having a substantially diffraction limited beam in a single transverse mode at the second wavelength.

Abstract: A system and a method for dynamically synchronizing a client (110) to a data source (105). The method can include the step of dynamically selecting a first length of format data to correspond to an amount of bandwidth of a commutated bitstream (115) allocated for synchronization. At least a first portion of a first format definition can be transmitted in the commutated bitstream (115). A size of the first portion can correspond to the first length of format data. The method also can include transmitting a current sentinel (205) in the commutated bitstream (115), the current sentinel (205) identifying a current commutation format of the commutated bitstream (115). An indication (120) can be received from the client that indicates that the client requires the first format definition. The step of transmitting the first portion of the first format definition can be responsive to the client indication.

Abstract: A method and a system for optimizing bandwidth utilization in a communications network (100) in which a commutated bitstream (115) is transmitted. The present invention can include a commutation format definition generator (405) which processes at least one triage value (425) to automatically generate commutation format definitions (155). The triage values can represent priority levels of data elements (420) in particular system states (430) and can be used to determine data transmission rates applicable to the data elements. The system can include a data source (105) which can process the commutation format definitions to generate the commutated bitstream. The data source can select a new commutation format definition to change the format of the commutated bitstream when the system state of the data source changes and optimize the commutated bitstream for the current system state and the current available network bandwidth.

Abstract: A method (400) for optimizing bandwidth utilization in a communications network (100). The communications network can include a data source (105) and a data client (110). Responsive to a measurement of at least one communication parameter (120) of a commutated bitstream (115) which is transmitted to the client, the data source can change a commutation format of the commutated bitstream. The communication parameters can include a data receive time (TRx), a data latency and/or an effective receive data rate (DEff) of the commutated bitstream. The communication parameters can be transmitted to the data source as telemetry. The change of commutation format can occur in an open systems interconnection (OSI) layer such as a session layer and/or a transport layer.