Asymmetric pwg with asymmetric cooling

Abstract

The present invention discloses a planar waveguide (PWG) having a first end for coupling to an optical pump and a second end opposite to the first end, and comprising: a first cladding; A uniformly doped core layer having a first cladding layer thereon, wherein the core layer is tapered with a smaller thickness at a first end and a larger thickness at a second end; and more dense than the first cladding layer A thin second cladding layer is applied on the other side of the core layer opposite said one side of the core layer. The first cladding layer may also be tapered along the length of the PWG with a taper angle substantially opposite to that of the core layer, having a greater thickness at a first end and a smaller thickness at a second end, thereby forming a taper along the length of the PWG. The stated lengths have a substantially uniform overall thickness of the PWG.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates generally to planar waveguides (PWGs); more particularly, to an asymmetric PWG ​​with asymmetric cooling. Background technique [0002] Optical waveguides guide electromagnetic waves in the spectrum. In optical communication systems, optical waveguides can be used as transmission media. Waveguides can also be used as optical amplifiers, such as erbium-doped fiber amplifiers. A planar waveguide (PWG) is a special type of waveguide that guides light waves in only one transverse axis. The PWG has a planar 3-layer sandwich geometry comprising a higher index middle (core) layer surrounded on both sides by a lower index cladding. PWGs typically have a high aspect ratio (e.g., 100:1 or greater), i.e., narrow in one transverse axis and wide in the other, and also have the ability to facilitate installation and removal in certain configurations (e.g., PWG amplifiers). Hot large flat surface area. Since the intermediate layer h...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

This results in higher heating near the end where the pump power is coupled to the end-pumped PWG

Since power scaling is fundamentally limited by thermal effects, devices with inconsistent heating do not reach the power scaling potential of devices with more consistent heating

Existing techniques that attempt to improve thermal uniformity use doping gradients or segmented doping in the gain medium to improve thermal uniformity, but methods for fabricating laser gain media with doping gradients are low maturity and complex to implement

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