A broadband light source includes one or more laser diodes that are capable of generating a pump signal having a wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns, a pulse width of at least 100 picoseconds and a pump optical spectral width. The light source also includes one or more optical amplifiers that are coupled to the pump signal and are capable of amplifying the pump signal to a peak power of at least 500W. The light source further includes a first fiber that is coupled to the one or more optical amplifiers. The first fiber including an anomalous group-velocity dispersion regime and a modulational instability mechanism that operates to modulate the pump signal. In one particular embodiment, the pump signal wavelength resides in the anomalous group- velocity dispersion regime of the first fiber and where different intensities in the pump signal can cause relative motion between different parts of the modulated pump signal produced through modulational instability in the first fiber. The light source also including a nonlinear element that is coupled to the first fiber that is capable of broadening the pump optical spectral width to at least 100nm through a nonlinear effect in the nonlinear element.

Broadband or mid-infrared fiber light sources

A medical device includes an insertable portion capable of being inserted into an orifice associated with a body of a patient. The insertable portion comprising an automated head unit capable of being manipulated in at least two axes of motion based at least in part on one or more control signals. The medical device further includes one or more controllers coupled to the automated head unit. In one particular embodiment, the one or more controllers generate the one or more control signals based at least in part on an input signal.

System and method for voice control of medical devices

A multiple-wavelength ultrashort-pulse laser system includes a laser generator producing ultrashort pulses at a fixed wavelength, and at least one and preferably a plurality of wavelength-conversion channels. Preferably, a fiber laser system is used for generating single-wavelength, ultrashort pulses. An optical split switch matrix directs the pulses from the laser generator into at least one of the wavelength conversion channels. An optical combining switch matrix is disposed downstream of the wavelength-conversion channels and combines outputs from separate wavelength-conversion channels into a single output channel. Preferably, waveguides formed in a ferroelectric substrate by titanium indiffusion (TI) and/or proton exchange (PE) form the wavelength-conversion channels and the splitting and combining matrices. Use of the waveguide allows efficient optical parametric generation to occur in the wavelength-conversion channels at pulse energies achievable with a mode-locked laser source. The multiple-wavelength laser system can replace a plurality of different, single-wavelength laser systems. One particular application for the system is a multi-photon microscope, where the ability to select the ultrashort-signal wavelength of the laser source accommodates any single fluorescent dye or several fluorescent dyes simultaneously. In its simplest form, the system can be used to convert the laser wavelength to a more favorable wavelength. For example, pulses generated at 1.55 μm by a mode-locked erbium fiber laser can be converted to 1.3 μm for use in optical coherence tomography or to 1.04-1.12 μm for amplification by a Yterbium amplifier, allowing amplification of pulses which can be used in a display, printing or machining system.

Ultrashort-pulse source with controllable multiple-wavelength output

A system and method for using near-infrared or short-wave infrared (SWIR) sources such as lamps, thermal sources, LED's, laser diodes, super-luminescent laser diodes, and super-continuum light sources for early detection of dental caries measure transmission and/or reflectance. In the SWIR wavelength range, solid, intact teeth may have a low reflectance or high transmission with very few spectral features while a carious region exhibits more scattering, so the reflectance increases in amplitude. The spectral dependence of the transmitted or reflected light from the tooth may be used to detect and quantify the degree of caries. Instruments for applying SWIR light to one or more teeth may include a C-clamp design, a mouth guard design, or hand-held devices that may augment other dental tools. The measurement device may communicate with a smart phone or tablet, which may transmit a related signal to the cloud, where additional value-added services are performed.

Short-wave infrared super-continuum lasers for early detection of dental caries

A method and apparatus for producing a flat gain over very broad gain bands utilizing backward-pumped Raman amplification. The method allows for dynamic gain control through simple electronic means.

Time-division multiplexed pump wavelengths resulting in ultra broad band, flat, backward pumped raman gain

A radiation pulse generating assembly comprises a radiation generator (1) such as a laser for generating pulses of radiation having pulse widths in the order of pico seconds. The pulses from generator (1) are coupled into an optical fibre (2) which causes the pulses to undergo Raman scattering to generate reduced width pulses with wavelengths lying within a Raman spectrum and having widths in the order of femto seconds. A first filter (3) filters out the initial pump wavelength while a second filter (4) downstream of the first filter (3) is tunable to select reduced width pulses within a desired wavelength band.

Radiation pulse generation

We describe experimental results of frequency up-conversion spectroscopy in Pr3+ doped monomode silica based fibers. Visible to ultraviolet and near-infrared to visible frequency conversion is demonstrated and analyzed using nanosecond and picosecond excitation sources.

Frequency up-conversion in Pr3+ doped fibers

https://www.osapublishing.org/viewmedia.cfm?uri=CLEO-1987-MH1&seq=0

Pulse compression, high-order solitons, and soliton-Raman generation in optical fibers

Pulse compression based on the effect of a spectral window on picosecond chirped optical pulses

The use of Nd x Y 1.00−x Al 3 (BO 3 ) 4 nanocrystalline powders as Random Lasers allowed observation of self-second-harmonic and self-sum-frequency generation of tunable UV-blue light. An optical thermometer operation based on a two-color random laser was also demonstrated.

Anderson S. L. Gomes

Papers

Radiation pulse generation

Frequency up-conversion in Pr3+ doped fibers

Pulse compression, high-order solitons, and soliton-Raman generation in optical fibers

Pulse compression based on the effect of a spectral window on picosecond chirped optical pulses

Nd x Y 1.00−x Al 3 (BO 3 ) 4 nanocrystalline powders: Multifunctional materials for random laser tunability and sensor applications