Abstract: A laser amplification structure comprising an active medium and at least two electrodes disposed on either side of the active medium, the active medium comprising a first layer of a silicon oxide doped with rare earth ions, wherein the first silicon layer is co-doped with silicon nanograins and rare earth ions.

Abstract: An ignition device for an internal combustion engine includes at least one pump light source which supplies a pump light. In addition, a laser device is provided which generates a laser pulse for emission into a combustion chamber. A light guide device transmits the pump light from the pump light source to the laser device. Finally, a laser-active solid body, a passive Q-switch, an incoupling mirror, and an output mirror of the laser device are arranged as one integrated monolithic part.

Abstract: A monolithically-integrated semiconductor optical transmitter that can index tune to any transmission wavelength in a given range, wherein the range is larger than that achievable by the maximum refractive index tuning allowed by the semiconductor material itself (i.e. ??/?>?n/n). In practice, this tuning range is >15 nm. The transmitter includes a Mach-Zehnder (MZ) modulator monolithically integrated with a widely tunable laser and a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). By using an interferometric modulation, the transmitter can dynamically control the chirp in the resulting modulated signal over the wide tuning range of the laser.

Abstract: An ultrafast laser system includes a seed laser that provides a signal laser pulse and a fiber-based first chirped reflective Bragg grating that reflects the signal laser pulse propagating along a first path and produce a stretched laser pulse longer than the signal laser pulse. A grating frequency of the first chirped reflective Bragg grating varies along the first path. An amplifier can amplify the stretched laser pulse and output an amplified laser pulse. A second chirped reflective Bragg grating can reflect the amplified laser pulse and produce a compressed laser pulse shorter than the amplified laser pulse. The amplified laser pulse propagates along a second path in the second chirped reflective Bragg grating. A grating frequency of the second chirped reflective Bragg grating varies in an opposite direction along the second path as the grating frequency of the first chirped reflective Bragg grating varies along the first path.

Abstract: A semiconductor optical waveguide-A having an optical amplification function and a semiconductor optical waveguide-B having a light control function are integrated together on the same substrate. A facet of the semiconductor optical waveguide-A facing an isolation trench and a facet of the semiconductor optical waveguide-B facing the isolation trench are configured as a composite optical reflector/optical connector using an optical interference. The facet of the semiconductor optical waveguide-A achieves an optical reflectivity not higher than the reflectivity corresponding to a cleaved facet and not smaller than several percent, and an optical coupling coefficient of not lower than 50% between the semiconductor optical waveguide-A and the semiconductor optical waveguide-B.

Abstract: A Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) is disclosed, comprising an optical cavity bounded by a top mirror and a bottom mirror, wherein the top mirror has multiple layers of alternating refractive index, of which the bottom three or more layers of the top mirror are deep oxidation layers having an increased oxidation length, a light emitting active region between the top mirror and the bottom mirror, and an aperture with tapered edges between the active region and the top mirror, wherein the aperture has a thickness, a taper length, an oxide aperture length, a taper angle, and an aperture opening diameter designed to reduce an optical mode's diameter without significantly increasing the optical mode's round trip scattering loss.

Abstract: A 1.55 ?m SLD having a laser diode (LD) region and a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) region, and a method of fabricating the same, are disclosed. The SLD includes: an InP substrate having a LD region and a SOA region for amplifying light emitted from the LD region; an optical waveguide having a BRS (buried ridge strip) structure having an active layer of resonant strip pattern formed on the InP substrate and extending from the SOA region to the LD region; a first electrode formed on the active layer in the SOA region, a second electrode formed on the active layer in the LD region and electrically isolated from the first electrode; and a current blocking region interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode in order to electrically isolate the first electrode and the second electrode from each other.

Abstract: Photonic integrated circuits on silicon are disclosed. By bonding a wafer of compound semiconductor material as an active region to silicon and removing the substrate, the lasers, amplifiers, modulators, and other devices can be processed using standard photolithographic techniques on the silicon substrate. A silicon laser intermixed integrated device in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention comprises a silicon-on-insulator substrate, comprising at least one waveguide in a top surface, and a compound semiconductor substrate comprising a gain layer, the compound semiconductor substrate being subjected to a quantum well intermixing process, wherein the upper surface of the compound semiconductor substrate is bonded to the top surface of the silicon-on-insulator substrate.

Abstract: An apparatus and related methods are described, the apparatus comprising a composite material layer configured to exhibit at least one of a negative effective permittivity and a negative effective permeability for radiation of at least one wavelength propagating therethrough. The apparatus further comprises a layer of gain material proximal to the composite material layer, the layer of gain material providing amplification for the propagating radiation. The layer of gain material is disposed within a laser cavity and pumped to a lasing condition for the laser cavity, the layer of gain material thereby providing gain-clamped amplification for the propagating radiation.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a laser amplifier with high gain and low thermally induced optical aberrations on the amplified laser beam. The amplifier designs allow simple multipass configurations to optimally extract the gain and reduce thermally induced index of refraction aberrations, making it possible to obtain an amplified laser beam of high quality combined with very high overall gains comparable to those achievable with expensive regenerative amplifiers. The amplifier includes a thin active laser solid to create the population inversion and associated heat generation within the thin laser active solid possible for the desired gain value. The system includes a cooling device in thermal contact with the thin active laser solid to provide good heat transport and high reflectivity coatings at the wavelengths of the pump and laser wavelengths. The pump light sources are laser diodes tuned to the maximum absorption of the laser active material.

Abstract: An optically pumped, radiation-emitting semiconductor device having a semiconductor body which includes at least one pump radiation source (20) and a surface-emitting quantum well structure (11), the pump radiation source (20) and the quantum well structure (11) being monolithically integrated. The pump radiation source (20) generates pump radiation (2) for optically pumping the quantum well structure (11), a recess (10) for introducing the pump radiation (2) in the quantum well structure (9) being formed in the semiconductor body between the pump radiation source (20) and the quantum well structure (11).

Abstract: A semiconductor laser device includes a semiconductor laser portion, a window layer structure portion, a first inter-element portion, and a pre-placed optical element portion on an InP substrate. The semiconductor laser portion includes an InGaAsP layer and an InP layer located on the InGaAsP layer. The window layer structure portion of a double heterojunction structure has the same optical axis direction as the semiconductor laser portion and is located apart from the semiconductor laser portion. The first inter-element portion has a 100-?m or less thickness in an optical axis direction, is in contact with an end face on a side of the window layer structure portion adjacent to the semiconductor laser portion and includes an InGaAsP layer and an InP layer of the same layer configuration as the semiconductor laser portion.

Abstract: An optical signal amplifier capable of compensating the attenuation of optical signals during transmission is provided. The optical signal amplifier includes: a substrate having first and second surfaces opposing each other and a recess formed on the first surface; an LED (light emitting diode) mounted within the recess to output pumping light; and an SRSO (silicon rich silicon oxide) optical amplifier for amplifying an input optical signal using the pumping light and outputting the amplified signal.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a photo-darkening resistant optical fibre includes a waveguide having a numerical aperture less than 0.15. The waveguide includes a core having a refractive index n1 and a pedestal having a refractive index n2, and wherein the fibre includes a first cladding having a refractive index n3 surrounding the pedestal, wherein n1 is greater than n2, n2 is greater than n3. The core includes silica, a concentration of alumina of between approximately 0.3 to 0.8 mole percent, a concentration of phosphate of substantially 15 mole percent, a concentration of ytterbium substantially in the range 20000 to 45000 ppm. The pedestal can include silica, phosphate and germania. The core can have substantially zero thulium dopant.

Abstract: A high power laser system including: a plurality of emitters each including a large area waveguide and a plurality of quantum well regions optically coupled to the large area waveguide, wherein each of the quantum well regions exhibits a low modal overlap with the large area waveguide; a collimator optically coupled to the emitters; a diffraction grating optically coupled through the collimator to the emitters; and, an output coupler optically coupled through the diffraction grating to the emitters.

Abstract: The invention provides a device and a method for extending the bandwidth of short wavelength and long wavelength fiber optic lengths. The invention provides for an optical transmitter package device comprising: a laser diode; and a semiconductor optical amplifier connected directly after and in close proximity to the laser diode, wherein the semiconductor optical amplifier is adapted to operate in a frequency domain such that the semiconductor optical amplifier filters and reshapes optical wavelengths from the laser diode, and wherein the semiconductor optical amplifier is biased below an amplification threshold for the semiconductor optical amplifier. The device may also comprises a feedback circuit which comprises an optical splitter, wherein the feedback circuit samples reshaped optical output from the semiconductor optical amplifier and dynamically adjusts one or both of the semiconductor optical amplifier and the laser diode.

Abstract: A semiconductor optical amplifier according to the present invention comprises a lower cladding layer of a first conductive type, an upper cladding layer of a second conductive type, an active layer, and a diffraction grating layer. The lower cladding layer includes first and second regions. The first and second regions are arranged in a predetermined direction, and the upper cladding layer is supported by the first region. The active layer is provided between the first region of the lower cladding layer and the upper cladding layer, and the diffraction grating layer has a diffraction grating. The diffraction grating extends in the predetermined direction. The diffraction grating layer is supported by the second region, and the diffraction grating layer is optically coupled to the active layer.

Abstract: A system is used to substantially reduce divergence of a beam traveling between master and power oscillators, for example in a laser beam source. The system comprises the first and second oscillators and a beam conditioning device. The first oscillator is configured to generate a radiation beam. The beam conditioning device is configured to stabilize a position, a direction, a size, or a divergence of the radiation beam to produce a conditioned beam. The second oscillator configured to amplify the conditioned beam to produce an amplified beam.

Abstract: A waveguide to waveguide coupled hybrid master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) includes a wavelength locked laser master oscillator (MO) first chip including a semiconductor substrate, a waveguide region having a gain section, one side of the MO including an integrated wavelength selective feedback element and the other side of the MO including an integrated reflective or coupling element on one side the waveguide and an emitting surface opposite the integrated reflective or coupling element for emitting light. A power amplifier (PA) second chip is stacked above or below the MO. The PA includes a semiconductor substrate including a waveguide region having a gain section, an integrated reflective or coupling element on a side of the PA aligned with light emitted from the emitting surface of the MO and a coupling grating or turning mirror and integrated lens on an opposite side of the PA for emitting an output beam.

Abstract: An asymmetric twin waveguide (ATG) structure with an integrated amplifier and detector fabricated in a single active waveguide layer is disclosed. The structure comprises an active waveguide layer formed on a passive waveguide layer. The active and passive waveguides have different effective indices of refraction such that a first mode of light is confined primarily to the active waveguide and a second mode of light is confined primarily to the passive waveguide in the area where the waveguides overlap.

Abstract: A vertical-cavity device comprises: (a) a chip comprising an active semiconductor layer for providing optical gain; (b) a first mirror arranged on a first side of the active layer; (c) a second mirror arranged on a second side of the active layer, opposite to the first mirror, and forming with at least the first mirror an optically resonant cavity that passes through the active layer in a direction out of the plane of the active layer; (d) a heatspreader for removing heat from the active layer, the heatspreader being arranged inside the cavity and having a first surface adjacent to the chip and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the heatspreader being transparent to light of wavelengths in an operating bandwidth of the device. In addition to removing heat from the active layer, the heatspreader also has one or more further selected property that has a further selected effect on light output from the device.

Abstract: Directing an input light beam into a laser diode operated at a power below that required for lasing stimulates emissions, resulting in an amplified output beam. A dynamic steering system can focus the input beam onto front face of the laser diode. The steering system optionally includes an optical element mounted solely on piezoelectric actuators. Control signals for the actuators in the steering system control a base position and cause alternating movements of the optical element. A detector measuring optical power leaking from a back face of the laser diode can determine the power of the amplified beam that exits from the front face, and derivatives of the measured power with respect to the alternating movements indicate required adjustments of the base position. A polarizing beam splitter and quarter-wave plate in the path of beams can separate the input and amplified beams.

Abstract: A semiconductor monolithic integrated optical transmitter including a plurality of active layers formed on a semiconductor substrate is disclosed, which comprises: a distributed feedback laser diode including a grating for reflecting light with a predetermined wavelength and a first active layer for oscillating received light from the grating; an electro-absorption modulator including a second active layer for receiving light from the first active layer, wherein the received light intensity is modulated through a change of absorbency in accordance with an applied voltage; an optical amplifier including a third active layer for amplifying received light from the second active layer; a first optical attenuator between the first active layer and the second active layer; and a second optical attenuator between the second active layer and the third active layer.

Abstract: A multi-wavelength light source includes a substrate, a fabry-perot laser laminated on the substrate that is operated by driving current below a predetermined threshold current to generate multi-wavelength light including a plurality of peaks whose wavelengths and spacing are identical to these of WDM channels. A semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is laminated on the substrate in an arrangement such that a slant surface of the SOA is opposed to a side surface of the fabry-perot laser, which serves to thereby amplify the multi-wavelength light output from the fabry-perot laser. The semiconductor optical amplifier is driven in a gain saturation state to reduce the relative intensity of noise in the channels of the multi-wavelength light that are simultaneously amplified.

Abstract: An optical device comprises a semiconductor structure including first and second ridge waveguides, each waveguide comprising a ridge extending across a surface of the semiconductor structure. The ridge of the first waveguide has a first height above a first region of the surface, and the ridge of the second waveguide has a second, greater, height above a second region of the surface. The semiconductor structure includes a multimode interference (MMI) region situated between the first and second ridge waveguides, which provides a transition between them. At least a part of the MMI region is tapered in width and/or at least a part of the first and/or second ridge waveguide is tapered in width in a direction extending away from the MMI region.

Abstract: Optoelectronic devices, such as optical transmitters and optical amplifiers, are provided. The optoelectronic devices are suitable for use in connection with optical communications systems, and related components and devices, such as may be used in the transmission, reception and processing of data and other information. The optoelectronic devices are implemented as various types of semiconductors. The form, structure, properties and functionality of a particular optoelectronic semiconductor device are determined with reference to the application(s) in connection with which the optoelectronic device is to be employed.

Abstract: Methods, devices and systems for generating ultrashort optical linear chirped pulses with very high power by amplifying the pulses so that their temporal duration is longer than the storage time of the amplifying medium. The additional gain factor is related to the ratio of the storage time to the stretched pulse. A preferred embodiment connects a mode locked laser source that generates optical pulses whose duration is stretched with a chirped fiber Bragg grating. Embodiments include methods, devices and systems causing an extreme chirped pulse amplifier (XCPA) effect in an oscillator.