Method and system for a high power low-coherence pulsed light source
View Patent ↗A high power pulsed optical source includes a multi-port optical circulator and a seed source coupled to a first port of the multi-port optical circulator. The seed source is adapted to provide amplified spontaneous emission. The high power pulsed optical source also includes a first reflective device coupled to a second port of the multi-port optical circulator and a first double-pass optical amplifier coupled at a first end to a third port of the multi-port optical circulator and coupled at a second end to an amplitude modulator. The high power pulsed optical source also includes a second reflective device coupled to the amplitude modulator and an output port coupled to a fourth port of the multi-port optical circulator.
1. A high power pulsed optical source comprising:
a multi-port optical circulator;
a seed source coupled to a first port of the multi-port optical circulator, wherein the seed source is adapted to provide amplified spontaneous emission;
a first reflective device coupled to a second port of the multi-port optical circulator;
a first double-pass optical amplifier coupled at a first end to a third port of the multi-port optical circulator and coupled at a second end to an amplitude modulator;
a second reflective device coupled to the amplitude modulator; and
an output port coupled to a fourth port of the multi-port optical circulator.
2. The optical source of claim 1 further comprising a second double-pass optical amplifier coupled between the amplitude modulator and the second reflective device.
3. The optical source of claim 2 wherein the first double-pass optical amplifier comprises an optical fiber amplifier.
4. The optical source of claim 3 wherein the optical fiber amplifier comprises a rare-earth doped optical fiber.
5. The optical source of claim 4 wherein the rare-earth doped optical fiber comprises a mixture of one or more rare-earth elements.
6. The optical source of claim 5 wherein the one ore more rare-earth elements include at least one of Ytterbium, Erbium, Thulium, Holmium, Praseodymium, or Neodymium.
7. The optical source of claim 1 wherein the multi-port optical circulator comprises a plurality of three-port optical circulators.
8. The optical source of claim 1 wherein the seed source comprises a superfluorescent source.
9. The optical source of claim 8 wherein the superfluorescent source comprises a superfluorescent optical fiber source.
10. The optical source of claim 9 wherein the superfluorescent optical fiber source comprises:
a fiber loop;
an optical pump coupled to the fiber loop through a fiber coupler; and
a third reflective device coupled to a distal end of the fiber loop.
11. The optical source of claim 10 wherein the optical pump comprises a semiconductor laser.
12. The optical source of claim 1 wherein the seed source comprises an FBG-stabilized semiconductor laser.
13. The optical source of claim 1 wherein the amplitude modulator comprises a time-domain transmission filter.
14. The optical source of claim 13 wherein the time-domain transmission filter comprises a Mach-Zehnder interferometric amplitude modulator.
15. The optical source of claim 13 wherein the time-domain transmission filter is adapted to provide spectral-domain transmission filtering.
16. The optical source of claim 15 wherein the time-domain reflectance filter is substantially matched to an output spectrum of the seed source.
17. The optical source of claim 1 wherein the second reflective device comprises a spectral-domain reflectance filter.
18. The optical source of claim 17 wherein the spectral-domain reflectance filter comprises a Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG).
19. The optical source of claim 17 wherein the a reflectance spectrum of the spectral-domain reflectance filter is substantially matched to an output spectrum of the seed source.
20. The optical source of claim 1 wherein the second double-pass optical amplifier comprises an optical fiber amplifier.