Abstract: A method and a device for generating a series of laser pulses in a laser device, particularly single and multiple bursts of pulses with a minimum temporal distance between the pulses in a single burst in the picosecond domain. The device includes at least a master oscillator and a regenerative amplifier. The method includes steps of injecting a laser pulse from the master oscillator into the regenerative amplifier, amplifying injected pulse burst during multiple round-trips in an optical cavity of the regenerative amplifier, ejecting amplified pulse burst from the cavity of the regenerative amplifier. The injection step involves applying a first intermediate voltage to an optical switch for a time span, during which pulses from the oscillator are injected into the amplifier, forming a burst of injected seed pulses, which are further amplified in the amplification step, in which the optical switch voltage is set to a locking voltage.

Abstract: A Pockels cell utilizes high-voltage pulses for a polarization adjustment of electromagnetic radiation passing through the crystal, in particular laser radiation. The polarization adjustment involves applying a sequence of useful voltage pulses (N) to the crystal, each having a useful period duration (TP, N) and a useful pulse width (TN), and induces birefringence of the crystal via electric polarization in the crystal for polarization adjustment of the electromagnetic radiation. A sequence of compensation pulses (K, K1, K2) are applied to the crystal, each having a voltage curve, wherein the sequence is temporally overlaid by the sequence of useful voltage pulses (N) so that the voltage curves of the compensation pulses (K, K1, K2) counteract the inducing of a mechanical vibration in the crystal of the Pockels cell by the useful voltage pulses (N).

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a single pulse laser apparatus which includes a first mirror and a second mirror disposed at both ends of the single pulse laser apparatus and having reflectivities of a predetermined level or more; a gain medium rotated at a predetermined angle and configured to oscillate a laser beam in a manual mode-locking state; a linear polarizer configured to output a beam having a specific polarized component of the oscillated laser beam; an etalon configured to adjust a pulse width of the oscillated laser beam; and an electro-optic modulator configured to perform Q-switching and single pulse switching.

Abstract: In described examples of an illumination system, the illumination system includes: at least two illumination modules to output different color light beams to an illumination path; and illumination optics corresponding to each of the at least two illumination modules to receive the light beams and to provide illumination to a programmable spatial light modulator. The programmable spatial light modulator receives the illumination and outputs patterned light to projection optics. The projection optics receive the patterned light and output the patterned light as an output beam through a lens. A controller controls the intensity and duration of light output from the at least two illumination modules and controls the pattern of the spatial light modulator. The output beam is a color formed by combining the different color light beams. The output beam is spectrally tunable.

Abstract: A beam twister consists of roof reflector-mirror pair is described. The pair reflects incoming light beam and, in the meantime, rotates the beam around its propagating direction by 90 degrees. For beam array, its size-divergence product can be changed by an array of the pairs, which makes it possible to focus the beam array into small spot. If the pair is integrated into a solid piece, the device is very robust and works with wide optical spectrum and high damage threshold.

Abstract: A laser amplifier system is presented including a pump regenerative amplifier. The amplifier generally has a cavity defined by a pair of end cavity mirrors between which an amplified pump pulse oscillates. The amplifier also includes an interaction cell with a tunable gain medium amplifies laser pulses (e.g., Raman gain). The interaction cell may be positioned within the pump amplifier cavity and an input pulse may be injected into the cavity of the amplifier to transit through the tunable gain medium of the interaction cell. A pump pulse transfers energy via interaction with the input pulse (e.g., Raman interaction) as the pulses counter-propagate through the gain medium of the interaction cell. Amplification of output laser pulses, however, is generally achieved according to the wavelength of the pump laser pulses thereby providing a wavelength dependent, or “tunable”, means for amplifying laser pulses.

Abstract: An electrooptic device includes first and second substrates that are disposed opposing each other with an electrooptic material layer therebetween, a sealing material that bonds the first and second substrates, a pixel area, and an ion trap portion between the pixel area and the sealing material. The ion trap portion includes first and second electrodes that are formed in a comb-tooth shape and are disposed so that branch electrodes of the first electrode and branch electrodes of the second electrode are engaged with each other. A direction of the branch electrodes intersects with an orientation direction of the electrooptic material at an interface between the electrooptic material layer and the first substrate.

Abstract: Scanning beam display systems that scan one servo beam and an excitation beam onto a screen that emits visible light under excitation of the light of the excitation beam and control optical alignment of the excitation beam based on positioning of the servo beam on the screen via a feedback control.

Abstract: Presented herein is a multipass optical amplifier including a thin-disk gain medium, a first reflective element optically coupled to the gain medium, a first parabolic reflector in optical communication with the gain medium and the first reflective element, a second parabolic reflector in optical communication with the first parabolic reflector, and a second reflective element in optical communication with the second parabolic reflector. The amplifier also includes a pump source, a signal beam source, and a chamber having first and second regions configured about the multipass optical amplifier with a port that extracts gas from the chamber. The first region includes the first parabolic reflector, the gain medium, and the first reflective element. The second region of the chamber includes the second reflective element and the second parabolic reflector. An input optic propagates the signal beam through the amplifier to impinge the gain medium multiple times for gain.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of amplification based on spatio-temporal frequency drift for a pulse laser comprising a so-called CPA (Chirped Pulse Amplification) frequency-shift amplifying chain, the various spectral components spatially spread. The various components separately amplified.

Abstract: Designs and techniques for constructing and operating femtosecond pulse lasers are provided. One example of a laser engine includes an oscillator that generates and outputs a beam of femtosecond seed pulses, a stretcher-compressor that stretches a duration of the seed pulses, and an amplifier that receives the stretched seed pulses, amplifies an amplitude of selected stretched seed pulses to create amplified stretched pulses, and outputs a laser beam of amplified stretched pulses back to the stretcher-compressor that compresses their duration and outputs a laser beam of femtosecond pulses. The amplifier includes a dispersion controller that compensates a dispersion of the amplified stretched pulses, making the repetition rate of the laser adjustable between procedures or according to the speed of scanning. The laser engine can be compact with a total optical path of less than 500 meters, and have a low number of optical elements, e.g. less than 50.

Abstract: A device for amplifying high-energy ultrashort light pulses, includes a generator (1), a first amplifying/time-stretching element (2) including a time-stretching element (3), a regenerative amplifier (4), a multipass amplifier (5) and a compressor (6). The device further includes a second amplifying/time-stretching element (11), arranged at the output of the generator (1), amplifying and time-stretching the initial light pulses (7) to generate amplified and time-stretched pulses (13), and a filtering element (12) arranged between the second amplifying/time-stretching element (11) and the amplification unit (2), blocking the low-amplitude light signals (14) of the amplified and time-stretched pulses (13).

Abstract: A laser amplifier system is presented including a pump regenerative amplifier. The amplifier generally has a cavity defined by a pair of end cavity mirrors between which an amplified pump pulse oscillates. The amplifier also includes an interaction cell with a tunable gain medium amplifies laser pulses (e.g., Raman gain). The interaction cell may be positioned within the pump amplifier cavity and an input pulse may be injected into the cavity of the amplifier to transit through the tunable gain medium of the interaction cell. A pump pulse transfers energy via interaction with the input pulse (e.g., Raman interaction) as the pulses counter-propagate through the gain medium of the interaction cell. Amplification of output laser pulses, however, is generally achieved according to the wavelength of the pump laser pulses thereby providing a wavelength dependent, or “tunable”, means for amplifying laser pulses.

Abstract: A laser amplifier system is presented including a pump regenerative amplifier. The amplifier generally has a cavity defined by a pair of end cavity mirrors between which an amplified pump pulse oscillates. The amplifier also includes an interaction cell with a tunable gain medium amplifies laser pulses (e.g., Raman gain). The interaction cell may be positioned within the pump amplifier cavity and an input pulse may be injected into the cavity of the amplifier to transit through the tunable gain medium of the interaction cell. A pump pulse transfers energy via interaction with the input pulse (e.g., Raman interaction) as the pulses counter-propagate through the gain medium of the interaction cell. Amplification of output laser pulses, however, is generally achieved according to the wavelength of the pump laser pulses thereby providing a wavelength dependent, or “tunable”, means for amplifying laser pulses.

Abstract: An optimized Yb: doped fiber mode-locked oscillator and fiber amplifier system for seeding Nd: or Yb: doped regenerative amplifiers. The pulses are generated in the Yb: or Nd: doped fiber mode-locked oscillator, and may undergo spectral narrowing or broadening, wavelength converting, temporal pulse compression or stretching, pulse attenuation and/or lowering the repetition rate of the pulse train. The conditioned pulses are subsequently coupled into an Yb: or Nd: fiber amplifier. The amplified pulses are stretched before amplification in the regenerative amplifier that is based on an Nd: or Yb: doped solid-state laser material, and then recompressed for output.

Abstract: A short pulse fiber laser amplification system includes a special fiber stretcher, managed preamplifier, managed amplifier chain, and managed compressor to control an increase of a passive dispersion by managing a third order dispersion (TOD) to a group velocity dispersion (GVD) ratio for matching a nonlinearity chirp. In an exemplary embodiment, the TOD to GVD ratio is managed between approximately 1.5 to 15 fs to match a nonlinearity in range between 1? to 10?. In another exemplary embodiment, the TOD to GVD ratio is managed between approximately 15 to 705 fs to match a nonlinearity in range between 1? to 50?.

Abstract: A pulse stretcher includes a plurality of substantially parallel slab-like optical paths of different optical path lengths and a plurality of reflecting surfaces, which are totally internally reflecting surface formed, located at an end of the corresponding optical path. Due to the different path lengths, the pulse stretcher can spread out an input pulse into a stretched pulse having a longer pulse duration and proportionally lower intensity than the initial pulse.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an amplifier chain for generating ultrashort light pulses of different pulse durations and applies in particular to amplifier chains suitable for amplifying picosecond and femtosecond pulses. The amplifier chain comprising a stretcher with at least one entry dispersive element of the grating type and intended to temporally stretch an incident pulse, an amplifying medium designed to amplify said stretched pulse, a compressor with at least one entry dispersive element substantially identical to that of the stretcher, designed to temporally compress said amplified pulse. According to the invention, the stretcher and the compressor include means for moving the dispersive elements between first and second positions, in such a way that the angle of incidence in a first position is equal to the angle of diffraction in the second position, and vice versa, allowing two degrees of stretch of the chain to be defined, each adapted to the amplification of pulses of different durations.

Abstract: A regenerative amplifier includes a gain-medium that is optically pumped by CW radiation. The amplifier has primary resonator for amplifying pulses. The primary resonator has an optical switch for opening and closing the primary resonator. The amplifier has a secondary resonator that includes the gain-medium and a selectively variable attenuator, but not the optical switch. The optical switch and the variable attenuator are cooperatively controlled in response to repeated trigger-signals such that the amplifier delivers corresponding amplified pulses each having about the same energy independent of repetition frequency of the signals below some predetermined value.

Abstract: The present invention includes an apparatus and the method to scale the average power from high power ultra-short pulsed lasers, while at the same time addressing the issue of effective beam delivery and ablation, by use of an optical amplification system.

Abstract: A regenerative amplifier includes a gain-medium that is optically pumped by CW radiation. The amplifier has primary resonator for amplifying pulses. The primary resonator has an optical switch for opening and closing the primary resonator. The amplifier has a secondary resonator that includes the gain-medium and a selectively variable attenuator, but not the optical switch. The optical switch and the variable attenuator are cooperatively controlled in response to repeated trigger-signals such that the amplifier delivers corresponding amplified pulses each having about the same energy independent of repetition frequency of the signals below some predetermined value.

Abstract: A fiber laser arrangement with regenerative pulse amplification, having a femtosecond fiber oscillator as a pulse-generating unit, a fiber amplifier designed both as a pulse-amplifying and pulse-stretching device to amplify and to stretch the femtosecond pulses generated by the femtosecond fiber oscillator, a regenerative amplifier, which has a disk-shaped laser crystal as a gain medium, and which is designed to produce additional pulse stretching during the regenerative amplification, and a pulse compression device, which temporally compresses the amplified and time-stretched pulses.

Abstract: An optimized Yb: doped fiber mode-locked oscillator and fiber amplifier system for seeding Nd: or Yb: doped regenerative amplifiers. The pulses are generated in the Yb: or Nd: doped fiber mode-locked oscillator, and may undergo spectral narrowing or broadening, wavelength converting, temporal pulse compression or stretching, pulse attenuation and/or lowering the repetition rate of the pulse train. The conditioned pulses are subsequently coupled into an Yb: or Nd: fiber amplifier. The amplified pulses are stretched before amplification in the regenerative amplifier that is based on an Nd: or Yb: doped solid-state laser material, and then recompressed for output.

Abstract: A laser system, such as a master oscillator/power amplifier system, comprises a gain medium and a stimulated Brillouin scattering SBS mirror system. The SBS mirror system includes an in situ filtered SBS medium that comprises a compound having a small negative non-linear index of refraction, such as a perfluoro compound. An SBS relay telescope having a telescope focal point includes a baffle at the telescope focal point which blocks off angle beams. A beam splitter is placed between the SBS mirror system and the SBS relay telescope, directing a fraction of the beam to an alternate beam path for an alignment fiducial. The SBS mirror system has a collimated SBS cell and a focused SBS cell. An adjustable attenuator is placed between the collimated SBS cell and the focused SBS cell, by which pulse width of the reflected beam can be adjusted.

Abstract: A regenerative amplifier system that is optimized for low-gain gain media is provided. The system is configured to include a minimum number of intra-cavity elements while still eliminating the leakage of the seed pulses from the output beam. In addition, the contrast ratio of the amplified pulses is increased even considering the long build-up time that is required in low-gain regenerative amplifiers. This is accomplished using a single Pockels cell between the oscillator and amplifier to select a single seed pulse for the cavity, instead of using a Faraday isolator. This directs the unwanted seed pulses in a separate direction from the output pulse. When the amplified pulse exits the cavity, it is directed in a direction away from the oscillator by the same Pockels cell. Only one additional Pockels cell and one polarizer are required inside the regenerative amplifier cavity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a multi-pass three-dimensional amplifier structure in which a beam of light traverses an amplifier medium multiple times via distinct multiple paths. The distribution of the multiple paths being such that the volume occupied by the multiple paths inside the amplifier medium substantially overlaps with the volume of the amplifier medium being optically pumped by an optical pump beam. The distribution of the optical paths is such that no more than two of the multiple paths lie in a same plane. The astigmatism induced by anisotropic amplifying crystals is self-compensated by aligning the crystallographic axes of the amplifying crystal at a 45° angle to the longitudinal axis of the redirecting means.

Abstract: A modulator having a waveguide and a microdisk resonator is disclosed. The waveguide has an input port for receiving a light signal of wavelength ? and an output port for transmitting modulated light. The microdisk resonator has a resonance at ? and is coupled to the waveguide between the input and output ports such that at least 10 percent of the light traveling in the waveguide is coupled to the microdisk resonator. The microdisk resonator further includes a material having a first state and a second state, the material absorbing more of the light in the first state than in the second state. The first and second states are selectable by a signal that is applied to the microdisk resonator. In one embodiment, the waveguide and the microdisk resonator occupy different portions of a sheet of material having the various layers used to construct the resonator.

Abstract: The invention offers a regenerative optical amplifier enabling voltage to be easily applied to polarizing elements such as Pockels cells, without the need for complicated drive circuitry. An input beam of S-polarized light is reflected by a polarizer 1 and advances to a Pockels cell 2. In the time it takes for the input beam, having once passed through the Pockels cell 2, to be reflected by a reflective mirror 3 and return to the Pockels cell 2, a voltage VP1 causing a 90-degree rotation in the polarization of transmitted light is applied to the Pockels cell 2, and this applied voltage VP1 is maintained. The input beam is converted by the Pockels cell 2 into a P-polarized light pulse which is transmitted by the polarizer.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an optical signal processing device which can give stable temporal order to the modulation-phases of a plurality of optical signals. The optical signal processing device includes an optical demultiplexer and an optical multiplexer for adaptation to WDM (wavelength division multiplexing). The optical demultiplexer has an input port and a plurality of output ports. The input port is adapted to accept WDM signal light obtained by wavelength division multiplexing a plurality of optical signals having different wavelengths. The optical multiplexer has an output port and a plurality of input ports. The plural output ports of the optical demultiplexer and the plural input ports of the optical multiplexer are connected by a plurality of optical paths, respectively. Each optical path is provided with a delay adjuster.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for increasing the energy of chirped laser pulses to an output in the range 0.001 to over 10 millijoules at a repetition rate 0.010 to 100 kHz by using a two stage optical parametric amplifier utilizing a bulk nonlinear crystal wherein the pump and signal beam size can be independently adjusted in each stage.

Abstract: The invention offers a regenerative optical amplifier enabling voltage to be easily applied to polarizing elements such as Pockels cells, without the need for complicated drive circuitry. An input beam of S-polarized light is reflected by a polarizer 1 and advances to a Pockels cell 2. In the time it takes for the input beam, having once passed through the Pockels cell 2, to be reflected by a reflective mirror 3 and return to the Pockels cell 2, a voltage VP1 causing a 90-degree rotation in the polarization of transmitted light is applied to the Pockels cell 2, and this applied voltage VP1 is maintained. The input beam is converted by the Pockels cell 2 into a P-polarized light pulse which is transmitted by the polarizer.

Abstract: A method of delivering a seed-pulse to a regenerative amplifier includes generating an ultrashort optical pulse. The ultrashort optical pulse is delivered to a single-mode optical fiber configured to generate a continuum. A portion of the continuum generated by the optical fiber is selected by a pulse stretcher and converted into the seed pulse. The pulse stretcher can be tuned to provide seed pulses of selectively variable wavelength.

Abstract: Disclosed is a dispersion compensating optical regenerator that provides for enhanced performance of telecommunication systems employing varying-soliton signal propagation and dispersion compensation. Allowing the solitons to change in amplitude, width and shape while traversing the dispersion compensating optical regenerator provides for beneficial system performance including improved signal to noise ratio at the receiver, reduced impact of signal interactions, and longer regenerator spacing. The regenerator in accord with the invention combines the filtering features of a NOLM or NALM with the advantageous effects of dispersion compensation.

Abstract: In an optical regenerator for use in an optical transmission system, an optical input signal to the regenerator comprising N wavelength division multiplexed channel signals is received in a signal synchronizing arrangement which synchronizes the phase of all of the N channels, where N·2. An optical output signal from the signal synchronizing arrangement has N phase-synchronized wavelength division multiplexed channels and is provided as an optical input signal to a nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) arrangement. The NOLM has a high nonlinearity fiber loop that propagates equal parts of the optical input signal from the signal synchronizing arrangement in both a clockwise (CW) and a counterclockwise (CCW) direction. An optical clock signal from a laser having a phase that matches the phase of the CW and CCW propagating signals is multiplexed with the CW signal to provide a 180 degree phase shift between the CW and CCW propagating signals while propagating in the optical fiber loop.

Abstract: An optical repeater is described which integrates an erbium doped optical fiber amplifier (EDFA) with a dispersion equalizer (DE) based on fiber gratings. The dispersion equalizer is based on parallel connection of a plurality of fiber gratings, or on parallel connection of a cascaded plurality of fiber grating branches, each branch carrying a plurality of gratings coupled in series. Each grating in each branch is chirped to provide selective reflection at one of the plurality of signal carrier wavelengths so that the total optical bandwidth of the dispersion equalizer is enhanced, i.e. the total bandwidth for a specific signal carrier wavelength is the combined optical bandwidths of the gratings which provide the reflection at the wavelength. The use of multiple gratings for each wavelength improves the optical bandwidth of the equalizer compared with single grating designs, enhancing the effective bandwidth.

Abstract: A partial optical regenerator for use in high bit-rate optical systems and useful in WDM applications employing soliton transmission. The regenerator essentially comprises a saturable optical element in a main optical path and a resonant optical circuit coupled to the element. A resonant pulse can be generated from an input data pulse in a number of ways. (A) an input data pulse may be coupled directly to the resonant optical circuit before entering the element; (B) the input data pulse may first saturate the element, resulting in the creation of a counter-propagating pulse; (C) the data pulse may pass through the element and be coupled to the resonant optical circuit upon exit. The resonant pulse travels around the resonant circuit and repeatedly returns to the saturable optical element after an integer multiple of the symbol duration or after an odd integer multiple of half the symbol duration.

Abstract: An efficient, powerful and reliable system for amplifying optical pulses. Seed-pulses are generated by a seed-pulse source and are transmitted to an optical amplifier for amplification. The power for the amplification is provided by a Q-switched, diode-pumped, extracavity frequency-doubled pump laser.

Abstract: An input optical data pulse 120 encoded by pulse amplitude modulation is branched into two parts by an optical coupler 111, and one part is input to an optical clock generation device, such as mode-locked laser diode (MLLD) 113 and the other part is input to an optical/optical intensity modulator, such as semiconductor optical amplifier 110 or electro-absorption light intensity modulator 210. A regenerated optical clock pulse drives the optical/optical intensity modulator and input optical data pulses 120 are intensity-modulated to serve as optical data pulses 121 which are output. An input optical data pulse can drive the light intensity modulator.

Abstract: An efficient, powerful and reliable system for amplifying optical pulses. Seed-pulses are generated by a seed-pulse source and are transmitted to an optical amplifier for amplification. The power for the amplification is provided by a Q-switched, diode-pumped, intracavity-doubled pump laser.

Abstract: An optical repeater is described which integrates an erbium doped optical fiber amplifier (EDFA) with a dispersion equalizer (DE) based on fiber gratings. The dispersion equalizer is based on parallel connection of two fiber gratings for single carrier wavelength operation, and on parallel connection of a cascade of two fibre grating branches, each carrying a plurality grating elements chirped for different wavelengths, for WDM operation at a plurality of wavelengths.The use of two gratings sections for each wavelength improves the optical bandwidth of the equalizer compared with single grating designs, doubling the effective bandwidth. Further, the grating DE is disposed between two fiber amplifier sections which share a single pump laser. Thus, this arrangement provides dispersion compensation and loss compensation in an optical repeater of lower cost, and smaller size, compared to a system of similar performance configured using discrete components.

Abstract: An efficient, powerful and reliable system for amplifying optical pulses. Seed-pulses are generated by a seed-pulse source and are transmitted to an optical amplifier for amplification. The power for the amplification is provided by a Q-switched, diode-pumped, intracavity-doubled pump laser.

Abstract: Laser amplifiers and methods for amplifying a laser beam are disclosed. A representative embodiment of the amplifier comprises first and second curved mirrors, a gain medium, a third mirror, and a mask. The gain medium is situated between the first and second curved mirrors at the focal point of each curved mirror. The first curved mirror directs and focuses a laser beam to pass through the gain medium to the second curved mirror which reflects and recollimates the laser beam. The gain medium amplifies and shapes the laser beam as the laser beam passes therethough. The third mirror reflects the laser beam, reflected from the second curved mirror, so that the laser beam bypasses the gain medium and return to the first curved mirror, thereby completing a cycle of a ring traversed by the laser beam. The mask defines at least one beam-clipping aperture through which the laser beam passes during a cycle. The gain medium is pumped, preferably using a suitable pumping laser.

Abstract: A regenerative amplifier includes a resonant cavity having a gain medium and a spectral filter located in the cavity. A source is provided to pump the gain medium and thereby raise it to an excited state. Elements are also provided for creating laser seed pulses which are then injected into the resonant cavity, these elements preferably include in part a mode-locked oscillator having a wavelength substantially the same as that at which the gain medium can support amplification of the energy of the injected pulse. In a preferred embodiment the gain medium is Ti:Sapphire for both the amplifier and oscillator. Also, in the preferred embodiment the seed pulse from the oscillator is stretched in time by multiplicative factors sufficient to ensure that upon amplification, the seed pulse power density remains below the self-focusing threshold of the material through which the pulse is passed.

Abstract: An optical amplification system capable of operating without being affected by the waveform of the incoming optical signal is provided for amplifying the optical signal in its optical waveguide by the effect of stimulated emission of a fluorescent substance induced by pumped light. According to a first aspect of the invention, an optical amplification system turns on its pumping source 8 when there is an optical signal s1 in the optical waveguide 5 whereas the pumping source 8 is kept off as long as no optical signal s1 is found in the optical waveguide 5 so that, when the pumping source 8 is turned on, pumped light from the pumping source 8 is fed to the optical waveguide 5 with a delay of time relative to the incoming optical signal s1.

Abstract: A regenerative amplifier includes a resonant cavity having a gain medium and a spectral filter located in the cavity. A source is provided to pump the gain medium and thereby-raise it to an excited state. Elements are also provided for creating laser seed pulses which are then injected into the resonant cavity, these elements preferably include in part a mode-locked oscillator having a wavelength substantially the same as that at which the gain medium can support amplification of the energy of the injected pulse. In a preferred embodiment the gain medium is Ti:Sapphire for both the amplifier and oscillator. Also, in the preferred embodiment the seed pulse from the oscillator is stretched in time by multiplicative factors sufficient to ensure that upon amplification, the seed pulse power density remains below the self-focusing threshold of the material through which the pulse is passed.

Abstract: The present invention provides light frequency control apparatus comprising a light pulse signal generating mechanism for converting continuous light into a light pulse signal, and outputting this light pulse signal; a light signal generating mechanism for repeatedly generating at predetermined cycles, a light signal, in which a light frequency component therein is shifted to form a staircase shape based on the number of cycles of a loop within which the light pulse signal circulates; and a dummy light generating mechanism for generating dummy light at a timing such that the level of the light signal becomes zero, and supplying this dummy light to the light amplifying mechanism. The aforementioned loop is formed from a light amplifying mechanism for amplifying the light pulse signal outputted from the light pulse signal generating mechanism, light delay mechanism for delaying the light pulse signal a fixed amount; and frequency shifting mechanism for shifting the frequency of the light pulse signal.

Abstract: A slab laser amplifier array includes a plurality of parallel, stacked, laser resonators, with each resonator having a walk-off mode of propagation of laser light from an input side of the resonator to an output side of the resonator where the exiting light diffracts around the resonator mirror. A source of a plurality of phase related, for example co-phasal, light beams supplies phase related light to each input side. The source of phase related light may be a source of one single mode beam followed by a telescope with an aperture having plural stops or a co-phasal array of laser resonators. A laser array of open resonators also has circular concentric electrodes.

Abstract: A regenerative amplifier design capable of operating at high energy per pulse, for instance, from 20-100 Joules, at moderate repetition rates, for instance from 5-20 Hertz is provided. The laser amplifier comprises a gain medium and source of pump energy coupled with the gain medium; a Pockels cell, which rotates an incident beam in response to application of a control signal; an optical relay system defining a first relay plane near the gain medium and a second relay plane near the rotator; and a plurality of reflectors configured to define an optical path through the gain medium, optical relay and Pockels cell, such that each transit of the optical path includes at least one pass through the gain medium and only one pass through the Pockels cell. An input coupler, and an output coupler are provided, implemented by a single polarizer.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for flattening the gain of an optical fiber amplifier (18) doped with an ion such as erbium and which is pumped by a pump laser (20). Optical couplers (32, 34) inserted before and after the fiber amplifier couple the main optical path to an optical ring passing through the fiber amplifier so as to form a ring laser. An optical isolator (32) placed in the ring causes the lasing light to only counterpropagate relative to the optical signal being amplified. When the fiber amplifier primarily exhibits inhomogeneous broadening and the ring lases, the lasing light clamps the gain to a value determined by the loop loss, and the value of the clamped gain is relatively uniform across a wide bandwidth.

Abstract: An efficient, powerful and reliable system for amplifying optical pulses. Seed-pulses are generated by a seed-pulse source and are transmitted to an optical amplifier for amplification. The power for the amplification is provided by a Q-switched, diode-pumped, intracavity-doubled pump laser.