Broadband laser source for laser thermal processing and photonically activated processes

Abstract

A laser that emits light at all available frequencies distributed throughout the spectral bandwidth or emission bandwidth of the laser in a single pulse or pulse train is disclosed. The laser is pumped or seeded with photons having frequencies distributed throughout the superunitary gain bandwidth of the gain medium. The source of photons is a frequency modulated photon source, and the frequency modulation is controlled to occur in one or more cycles timed to occur within a time scale for pulsing the laser.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A laser that emits amplified light at all possible frequencies distributed throughout the spectral bandwidth of the laser in a single pulse or pulse train. 
     
     
         2 . The laser of  claim 1 , wherein the laser emits all available resonant frequencies of the spectral bandwidth in a single pulse. 
     
     
         3 . The laser of  claim 1 , comprising a source of photons having frequencies evenly distributed throughout the superunitary gain bandwidth of the laser. 
     
     
         4 . The laser of  claim 3 , wherein the source of photons is frequency modulated. 
     
     
         5 . The laser of  claim 3 , wherein the source of photons is pulsed, and each pulse is frequency modulated. 
     
     
         6 . The laser of  claim 3 , wherein the source of photons is a light-emitting diode. 
     
     
         7 . The laser of  claim 4 , wherein the source of photons is a frequency tunable laser. 
     
     
         8 . The laser of  claim 7 , wherein the frequency tunable laser is a fiber laser. 
     
     
         9 . The laser of  claim 8 , wherein the fiber laser is chirped. 
     
     
         10 . The laser of  claim 7 , wherein the frequency tunable laser is a diode laser. 
     
     
         11 . An optical emitter, comprising:
 a source of frequency modulated photons operable to produce pulses of electromagnetic radiation having a range of frequencies; and   an amplifier optically coupled to the source of frequency modulated photons, the amplifier comprising a gain medium having a range of gain frequencies that matches the range of frequencies of the frequency modulated photons.   
     
     
         12 . The optical emitter of  claim 11 , wherein the source of frequency modulated photons is a chirped pulse generator. 
     
     
         13 . The optical emitter of  claim 11 , wherein the source of frequency modulated photons is a pulsed laser that emits pulses of duration about 30 nsec or less, wherein the emission frequency of the laser is fully cycled during a pulse. 
     
     
         14 . The optical emitter of  claim 13 , wherein the gain medium is a crystalline solid. 
     
     
         15 . An optical amplifier, comprising:
 an amplifier medium; and   a source of seed photons coupled to the amplifier medium, the source operable to emit a pulse of photons having a distribution of quantum states substantially matched to the full range of quantum states the amplifier can emit.   
     
     
         16 . The optical amplifier of  claim 15 , wherein the amplifier medium is an optical resonator, and the emission spectrum of the amplifier is the superunitary gain band of the optical resonator. 
     
     
         17 . The optical amplifier of  claim 15 , wherein the quantum states are frequencies. 
     
     
         18 . The optical amplifier of  claim 15 , wherein the quantum states are polarization axes.