Mid-infrared super-continuum laser
A super continuum light source includes an input light source having semiconductor diodes generating an input beam having a wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns. Optical amplifiers receive the input beam and form an amplified optical beam having a spectral width. The optical amplifiers may include a cladding-pumped fiber amplifier doped with rare-earth materials. A nonlinear element may include mid-infrared fibers to receive the amplified optical beam and to broaden the spectral width of the received amplified optical beam to 100 nm or more through a nonlinear effect forming an output beam, wherein the output beam is pulsed. At least a portion of the output beam is in a mid-infrared wavelength range between 2 microns and 5 microns and at least a portion of the one or more mid-infrared fibers comprises a ZBLAN fluoride fiber coupled to a chalcogenide fiber.
1. A super continuum light source comprising:
an input light source, including one or more semiconductor diodes, to generate an input beam that comprises a wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns;
one or more optical amplifiers to receive at least a portion of the input beam and form an amplified optical beam having a spectral width, wherein at least a portion of the one or more optical amplifiers comprises a cladding-pumped fiber amplifier doped with rare-earth materials; and
a nonlinear element comprising one or more mid-infrared fibers to receive at least a portion of the amplified optical beam and to broaden the spectral width of the received amplified optical beam to 100 nm or more through a nonlinear effect forming an output beam, wherein the output beam is pulsed;
wherein at least a portion of the output beam is in a mid-infrared wavelength range between 2 microns and 5 microns; and
wherein at least a portion of the one or more mid-infrared fibers comprises a ZBLAN fluoride fiber or a tellurite fiber coupled to a chalcogenide fiber.
2. The super continuum light source of claim 1 , wherein the chalcogenide fiber comprises a sulfide fiber and a selenide fiber.
3. The super continuum light source of claim 1 , wherein the super continuum light source is further coupled to a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy system.
4. The super continuum light source of claim 1 , wherein the super continuum light source is used to identify a sample based at least in part on its chemical composition.
5. The super continuum light source of claim 1 , wherein the super continuum light source is coupled to a system for industrial chemical plant control, remote sensing, advanced semiconductor processing, combustion monitoring, bio-medical diagnostics or bio-medical ablation.
6. The super continuum light source of claim 1 , wherein the one or more optical amplifiers comprise an erbium combined with ytterbium amplifier, and the chalcogenide fiber comprises a sulfide fiber and a selenide fiber.
7. A super continuum light source comprising:
an input light source, including one or more semiconductor diodes, to generate an input beam that comprises a wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns;
one or more optical amplifiers to receive at least a portion of the input beam and form an amplified optical beam having a spectral width, wherein at least a portion of the one or more optical amplifiers comprises a fiber amplifier doped with rare-earth materials; and
a nonlinear element comprising one or more mid-infrared fibers to receive at least a portion of the amplified optical beam and to broaden the spectral width of the received amplified optical beam to 100 nm or more through a nonlinear effect forming an output beam, wherein the output beam is pulsed;
wherein at least a portion of the output beam is in a mid-infrared wavelength range between approximately 2 microns and approximately 5 microns; and
wherein at least a portion of the one or more mid-infrared fibers comprises a fluoride or tellurite fiber coupled to a chalcogenide fiber.
8. The super continuum light source of claim 7 , wherein the fluoride fiber is a ZBLAN fiber.
9. The super continuum light source of claim 7 , wherein the super continuum light source is coupled to a system for industrial chemical plant control, remote sensing, advanced semiconductor processing, combustion monitoring, bio-medical diagnostics or bio-medical ablation.
10. The super continuum light source of claim 7 , wherein the super continuum light source is further coupled to a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy system.
11. The super continuum light source of claim 7 , wherein the super continuum light source is used to identify a sample based at least in part on its chemical composition.
12. The super continuum light source of claim 7 , wherein the chalcogenide fiber comprises a sulfide fiber and a selenide fiber.
13. The super continuum light source of claim 7 , wherein the one or more optical amplifiers comprise an erbium combined with ytterbium amplifier and a thulium amplifier, and the chalcogenide fiber comprises a sulfide fiber and a selenide fiber.
14. A super continuum light source comprising:
an input light source, including one or more semiconductor diodes, to generate an input beam that comprises a wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns;
one or more optical amplifiers to receive at least a portion of the input beam and form an amplified optical beam having a spectral width; and
a nonlinear element comprising one or more mid-infrared fibers to receive at least a portion of the amplified optical beam and to broaden the spectral width of the received amplified optical beam to 100 nm or more through a nonlinear effect forming an output beam, wherein the output beam is pulsed;
wherein at least a portion of the output beam is in a mid-infrared wavelength range between 2 microns and 5 microns; and
wherein at least a portion of the one or more mid-infrared fibers comprises a chalcogenide fiber, a tellurite fiber, or a fluoride fiber.
15. The super continuum light source of claim 14 , wherein the super continuum light source is further coupled to a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy system.
16. The super continuum light source of claim 14 , wherein the super continuum light source is used to identify a sample based at least in part on a chemical composition of the sample.
17. The super continuum light source of claim 14 , wherein the mid-infrared fiber comprises a ZBLAN fluoride fiber.
18. The super continuum light source of claim 14 , wherein the chalcogenide fiber comprises a sulfide fiber or a selenide fiber.
19. The super continuum light source of claim 14 , wherein the super continuum light source is coupled to a system for industrial chemical plant control, remote sensing, advanced semiconductor processing, combustion monitoring, bio-medical diagnostics or bio-medical ablation.
20. The super continuum light source of claim 14 , wherein the one or more optical amplifiers comprise an erbium combined with ytterbium amplifier and a thulium amplifier, and the chalcogenide fiber comprises a sulfide and a selenide fiber, and the mid-infrared fiber further comprises a ZBLAN fluoride fiber.