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Side-Pumped Monolithic Amplifier Arrays Based

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Missile Defense Agency
Contract: F30602-03-C-0087
Agency Tracking Number: 02-0682
Amount: $739,486.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: BMDO02-011
Solicitation Number: 2002.1
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2002
Award Year: 2004
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2003-06-03
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2005-06-02
Small Business Information
UA Science and Technology Park 9030 S. Rita Road,
Tucson, AZ 85747
United States
DUNS: 014750785
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Arturo Chavez-Pirson
 Dir. of Active Device Dev
 (520) 799-7438
 chavez@npphotonics.com
Business Contact
 Douglas Pearson
Title: Controller and Treasurer
Phone: (520) 799-7488
Email: dpearson@npphotonics.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

This project will focus on the development of side-pumped, monolithic amplifier arrays based on short-length, high gain erbium-doped phosphate glass. The proposal will attempt to bring together two exciting approaches aimed at producing compact, highly functional optical amplifiers with the potential for rapid reduction in the cost per amplifier port. First, we will investigate a novel side-pumping geometry using inexpensive, high power multimode pump laser sources to simultaneously energize an array of erbium-doped active cores. The pumping geometry allows for massive sharing of the pump power over several amplifier ports. It also eliminates the need for the complicated and costly pump-signal wavelength-division multiplexers used in conventional erbium-doped amplifiers. Second, we will explore low cost fiber drawing methods to produce compact, monolithic amplifier array structures. In contrast to other fabrication approaches, fiber drawing technologies support the formation of active core elements with very high erbium and ytterbium doping concentrations, circular cross sections, and dramatically lower per unit cost. The demonstration of side-pumped monolithic amplifier arrays will pave the way for widespread deployment of low-cost, compact amplification throughout a variety of optical communication networks.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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