Use of a photonic crystal for optical amplifier gain control
| Patent Number: | 7,079,309 |
| Issued: | 7/18/2006 |
| Official Filing: | View the Complete Patent |
| Abstract: | An optical amplifier having a uniform gain profile uses a photonic crystal to tune the density-of-states of a gain medium so as to modify the light emission rate between atomic states. The density-of-states of the gain medium is tuned by selecting the size, shape, dielectric constant, and spacing of a plurality of microcavity defects in the photonic crystal. The optical amplifier is particularly useful for the regeneration of DWDM signals in long optical fibers. |
| Filed: | 6/25/2003 |
| Application Number: | 10/607,065 |
| Government Interests: | STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |