An active waveguide including active and passive rods which have respective polymeric claddings mechanically and optically coupled to one another so as to define a side pumping scheme. One or a plurality of elements are embedded in one of or both active and passive rods and have a refractive index lower than the lowest of refractive indices of the respective active and passive rods at least 1*10.sup.−3. The MM core of the active rod includes inner and outer concentric regions with a concentration of light emitters in the outer region being lower than that of the inner region at more than 50% and, a radius of the inner region being at most 92% of that of the outer region. The unabsorbed pump light at the output of the active waveguide constitutes less than 1% of the delivered pump light which in combination with the refractive index of the embedded elements and selectively doped core regions contribute to laser efficiency of at least 86%.

The present disclosure relates to a fiber encapsulation mechanism for energy dissipation in a fiber amplifying system. One example embodiment includes an optical fiber amplifier. The optical fiber amplifier includes an optical fiber that includes a gain medium, as well as a polymer layer that at least partially surrounds the optical fiber. The polymer layer is optically transparent. In addition, the optical fiber amplifier includes a pump source. Optical pumping by the pump source amplifies optical signals in the optical fiber and generates excess heat and excess photons. The optical fiber amplifier additionally includes a heatsink layer disposed adjacent to the polymer layer. The heatsink layer conducts the excess heat away from the optical fiber. Further, the optical fiber amplifier includes an optically transparent layer disposed adjacent to the polymer layer. The optically transparent layer transmits the excess photons away from the optical fiber.

A laser illumination or dazzler device and method. More specifically, examples of the present invention provide laser illumination or dazzling devices power by one or more violet, blue, or green laser diodes characterized by a wavelength from about 390 nm to about 550 nm. In some examples the laser illumination or dazzling devices include a laser pumped phosphor wherein a laser beam with a first wavelength excites a phosphor member to emit electromagnetic at a second wavelength. In various examples, laser illumination or dazzling devices according to the present invention include polar, non-polar, or semi-polar laser diodes. In a specific example, a single laser illumination or dazzling device includes a plurality of violet, blue, or green laser diodes. There are other examples as well.

A laser illumination or dazzler device and method. More specifically, examples of the present invention provide laser illumination or dazzling devices power by one or more violet, blue, or green laser diodes characterized by a wavelength from about 390 nm to about 550 nm. In some examples the laser illumination or dazzling devices include a laser pumped phosphor wherein a laser beam with a first wavelength excites a phosphor member to emit electromagnetic at a second wavelength. In various examples, laser illumination or dazzling devices according to the present invention include polar, non-polar, or semi-polar laser diodes. In a specific example, a single laser illumination or dazzling device includes a plurality of violet, blue, or green laser diodes. There are other examples as well.

A seed unit (MO) includes a plurality of optical paths sharing a part thereof and causing light to be resonated thereon, an amplification optical fiber (13) serving as a part of each of the optical paths and amplifying respective light beams resonated on the respective optical paths, and; an AOM (14) arranged at a part shared by the respective optical paths and switchable between a first state, in which the AOM (14) vibrates at a predetermined cycle and emits light incident from the optical paths to the optical paths, and a second state, in which the AOM (14) emits light incident from the optical paths to a path other than the optical paths. A resonance cycle of light having highest power out of the light beams resonated on the optical paths and the predetermined cycle at which the AOM (14) vibrates in the first state have a non-integral multiple relationship.

The present disclosure relates to a laser system. The laser system may have at least non-flat gain media disc. At least one pump source may be configured to generate a beam that pumps the non-flat gain media disc. A laser cavity may be formed by the pump source and the non-flat gain media disc. An output coupler may be included for receiving and directing the output beam toward an external component.

One illustrative laser disclosed herein includes a gain medium layer having a first width in a transverse direction that is orthogonal to a laser emitting direction of the laser, and an upper light-confining structure positioned above an upper surface of the gain medium layer, wherein the upper light-confining structure has a second width in the transverse direction that is equal to or less than the first width and comprises at least one material having an index of refraction that is at least 2.0. The laser also includes a lower light-confining structure positioned below a lower surface of the gain medium layer, wherein the lower light-confining structure has a third width in the transverse direction that is equal to or less than the first width and comprises at least one material having an index of refraction that is at least 2.0.

The present disclosure relates to a fiber encapsulation mechanism for energy dissipation in a fiber amplifying system. One example embodiment includes an optical fiber amplifier. The optical fiber amplifier includes an optical fiber that includes a gain medium, as well as a polymer layer that at least partially surrounds the optical fiber. The polymer layer is optically transparent. In addition, the optical fiber amplifier includes a pump source. Optical pumping by the pump source amplifies optical signals in the optical fiber and generates excess heat and excess photons. The optical fiber amplifier additionally includes a heatsink layer disposed adjacent to the polymer layer. The heatsink layer conducts the excess heat away from the optical fiber. Further, the optical fiber amplifier includes an optically transparent layer disposed adjacent to the polymer layer. The optically transparent layer transmits the excess photons away from the optical fiber.

Methods for synthesizing fibers having nanoparticles therein are provided, as well as preforms and fibers incorporating nanoparticles. The nanoparticles may include one or more rare earth ions selected based on fluorescence at eye-safer wavelengths, surrounded by a low-phonon energy host. Nanoparticles that are not doped with rare earth ions may also be included as a co-dopant to help increase solubility of nanoparticles doped with rare earth ions in the silica matrix. The nanoparticles may be incorporated into a preform, which is then drawn to form fiber. The fibers may beneficially be incorporated into lasers and amplifiers that operate at eye safer wavelengths. Lasers and amplifiers incorporating the fibers may also beneficially exhibit reduced Stimulated Brillouin Scattering.

An object is to improve the efficiency of amplification by rare earth ion while maintaining beam quality of output light in a multi-mode fiber doped with rare earth ion. A multi-mode fiber (11) that includes a rare-earth-ion-doped core and that has a normalized frequency of not less than 2.40 includes a filter portion (111) that is formed by bending a partial section of or entirety of the multi-mode fiber (11), the filter portion (111) having a smallest diameter (diameter R1) that is set so that (1) only LP01, LP11, LP21, and LP02 modes propagate or only LP01 and LP11 modes propagate and (2) a loss of a highest-order one of the modes that propagate is not more than 0.1 dB/m.