What is claimed is:
1. A laser amplifier comprising:
a gain medium of a glass fiber including rare earth dopant in a host medium, ions of said rare earth dopant having an energy level structure including a ground level and a pair of laser upper level and laser lower levels between which a stimulated transition is to be produced after production of a population inversion between said pair of laser upper and laser lower levels, said pair of laser upper and laser lower levels being higher than said ground level;
a first exciting light source coupled to the input side of said glass fiber for introducing first exciting light to said glass fiber to produce said population inversion;
a second exciting light source coupled to the input side of said glass fiber for introducing second exciting light source to said glass fiber to raise ions of said rare earth dopant from said ground level to said laser lower level, said second exciting light having a wavelength band different from a wavelength band of said first exciting light; and
another first exciting light source coupled to the output side of said glass fiber for introducing said first exciting light to said glass fiber, and
wherein a two-way excitation is performed on said glass fiber.
2. The laser amplifier according to claim 1, wherein said two-way excitation is performed on said glass fiber without providing another second exciting light source coupled to the output side of said glass fiber for introducing said second exciting light to said glass fiber.
3. The laser amplifier according to claim 1, wherein said rare earth dopant is selected from a group consisting of thulium (Tm), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er) and praseodymium (Pr).
4. The laser amplifier according to claim 1, wherein the ions of said rare earth dopant are thulium ions (Tm3).
5. The laser amplifier according to claim 1, wherein said first exciting light source produces light having a wavelength band ranging from 1.04 m to 1.07 m, and said second exciting light source produces light having a wavelength band ranging from 1.53 m to 1.90 m.
6. The laser amplifier according to claim 1, wherein said glass fiber is a fluoride-based glass fiber including rare earth dopant in a host medium.
7. The laser amplifier according to claim 1, wherein said host medium is fluorozirconiumate glass.
8. The laser amplifier according to claim 1, wherein the ions of said rare earth dopant are erbium ions (Er3).
9. The laser amplifier according to claim 8, wherein said first exciting light source produces light having a wavelength selected from a wavelength of 0.81 m and a wavelength of 0.98 m, and said second exciting light source produces light having a wavelength band ranging from 1.45 m to 1.57 m.
10. The laser amplifier according to claim 1, wherein the ions of said rare earth dopant are holmium ions (Ho3).
11. The laser amplifier according to claim 10, wherein said first exciting light source produces light having a wavelength selected from a wavelength of 0.89 m and a wavelength of 1.15 m, and said second exciting light source produces light having a wavelength band ranging from 1.8 m to 2.1 m.
12. A laser amplifier comprising:
a gain medium of a plurality of stages of a plurality of glass fibers coupled to each other in series, each of said plurality of glass fibers including rare earth dopant in a host medium, and ions of said rare earth dopant having an energy level structure including a ground level and a pair of laser upper level and laser lower levels between which a stimulated transition is to be produced after production of a population inversion between said pair of laser upper and laser lower levels, said pair of laser upper and laser lower levels being higher than said ground level;
a first exciting light source coupled to the input side of said glass fiber of a specific stage other than at least a final stage of said plurality of stages for introducing first exciting light to said glass fiber of said specific stage to produce said population inversion;
a second exciting light source coupled to the input side of said glass fiber of said specific stage for introducing second exciting light source to said glass fiber to raise ions of said rare earth dopant from said ground level to said laser lower level, said second exciting light having a wavelength band different from a wavelength band of said first exciting light;
a third exciting light source coupled to the input side of said glass fiber of said final stage for introducing said first exciting light to said glass fiber of said final stage to produce said population inversion;
a fourth exciting light source coupled to the input side of said glass fiber of said final stage for introducing said second exciting light source to said glass fiber of said final stage; and
another third exciting light source coupled to the output side of said glass fiber of said final stage for introducing said first exciting light to said glass fiber of said final stage, and
wherein a two-way excitation is performed on said glass fiber of said final stage.
13. The laser amplifier according to claim 12, further comprising:
an optical isolator provided between said specific stage and said final stage, wherein said optical isolator protects ASE (Amplified Spontaneous Emission) generated in said final stage from getting into said specific stage.
14. The laser amplifier according to claim 12, wherein said two-way excitation is performed on said glass fiber of said final stage without providing another fourth exciting light source coupled to the output side of said glass fiber of said final stage for introducing said second exciting light to said glass fiber of said final stage.
15. The laser amplifier according to claim 12, wherein said rare earth dopant is selected from a group consisting of thulium (Tm), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er) and praseodymium (Pr).
16. The laser amplifier according to claim 12, wherein the ions of said rare earth dopant are thulium ions (Tm3).
17. The laser amplifier according to claim 12, wherein said first exciting light source produces light having a wavelength band ranging from 1.04 m to 1.07 m, and said second exciting light source produces light having a wavelength band ranging from 1.53 m to 1.90 m.
18. The laser amplifier according to claim 12, wherein said glass fiber is a fluoride-based glass fiber including rare earth dopant in a host medium.
19. The laser amplifier according to claim 12, wherein said host medium is fluorozirconiumate glass.
20. A laser amplifier apparatus, comprising:
a first laser amplifier; and
a second laser amplifier coupled to said first laser amplifier in series or parallel, and
wherein at least one of said first and second laser amplifiers includes:
a first exciting light source coupled to the input side of said glass fiber for introducing first exciting light to said glass fiber to produce said population inversion;
a second exciting light source coupled to the input side of said glass fiber for introducing second exciting light source to said glass fiber to raise ions of said rare earth dopant from said ground level to said laser lower level, said second exciting light having a wavelength band different from a wavelength band of said first exciting light; and
another first exciting light source coupled to the output side of said glass fiber for introducing said first exciting light to said glass fiber, and
wherein a two-way excitation is performed on said glass fiber.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A magnetic intensifier comprising:
a pair of arms:
a pair of wings each oriented in a crossing direction relative to each of the pair of arms;
a middle portion extending between each of the pair of arms and the pair of wings and positioned such that the pair of arms extend in a direction generally opposite the pair of wings; and
wherein the middle portion and the pair of arms have a length generally similar to a length of a vertical portion of a turnback such that the magnetic intensifier fits snuggly between a base portion and a horizontal portion of the turnback and the pair of wings traverse generally opposite sides of the horizontal portion of the turnback and extend beyond the turnback to generally flank a stationary contact that communicates current carried by the turnback; and
wherein each wing has an end that is tapered such that a first end of each wing is further from the vertical portion of the turnback and extends further above the stationary contact than a second end of each wing that is nearer the vertical portion of the turnback.
2. The magnetic intensifier of claim 1 further comprising a notch formed in the first end of each contact.
3. The magnetic intensifier of claim 2 further comprising a magnetic disposed between the pair of arms.
4. The magnetic intensifier of claim 1 wherein the pair of arms, pair of wings, and middle portion are formed from a common body and of a material that is magnetically responsive.
5. The magnetic intensifier of claim 1 further comprising a fastener for securing the middle portion of the magnetic intensifier to the horizontal portion of the turnback.
6. An apparatus comprising:
a magnetic intensifier comprising:
a body formed of a magnetic material;
a wing that extends in a first direction from the body;
an arm that extends from the body in a second direction that is generally opposite the first direction and so that a longitudinal axis of the arm crosses a longitudinal axis of the wing;
another wing and another arm that are generally mirror images of the wing and the arm, respectively, with respect to normal lateral cross-sections of the magnetic intensifier;
wherein a longitudinal edge of the wing and the another wing are ramped so that a first end of the wing and the another wing extends above a face of a contact; and
wherein a second end of the wing and the another wing are positioned below a face of the contact so that the longitudinal edge of the wing and the another wing transitions from the first end to the second end from above the face of the contact to below the face of the contact;
a turn back offset from a base and constructed to communicate an electrical signal to the contact of a severable connection contactor assembly; and
a space formed between the turn back and the base and shaped to snuggly receive the magnetic intensifier such that the wing extends above the face of the contact and the arm biases the body toward an underside of the turnback generally opposite the contact.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a hole formed in the body between the wing and the another wing and the arm and the another arm that aligns with a hole formed in the turnback proximate the contact when the magnetic intensifier is positioned relative thereto.
8. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising an arc arrestor that is positioned nearer the first end of the wing and the another wing.
9. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising forming a notch in the longitudinal edge at the first end of each of the wing and the another wing.