TECHNOLOGY/BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY High Power Microstructured Optical Fiber Amplifier Design Mitigating Stability Limitations

Opportunity:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), operated by the Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS), LLC under contract no. DE-AC52-07NA27344 (Contract 44) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is offering the opportunity to enter into a collaboration to further develop and commercialize its High Power Microstructured Optical Fiber Amplifier Design Mitigating Stability Limitations technology.

Background:

High power fiber amplifiers employing Large Mode Area fibers are currently limited to a few kW, in part, due to Transverse Mode Instability. There’s a need to scale fiber amplifiers beyond a few kW, which would require Transverse Mode Instabilities to be mitigated.

Description:

This LLNL invention proposes a new microstructured large mode area fiber design that enhances the confinement of the core mode while strongly suppressing thermal or scattering mediated dynamic couplings with higher order modes thought to be responsible for generating undesirable Transverse Mode Instabilities. The design accomplishes higher order mode suppression and core mode confinement by using a hybrid approach with low index barriers and high index rings around the core. The high index rings provide enhanced confinement through an Anti-Resonant Reflection Optical Waveguide (ARROW) mechanism.

Advantages/Benefits: 

• Enables high power fiber amplifiers to be scaled beyond a few kW.
• Mitigates instabilities through a novel fiber structural design.

Potential Applications: 

• High power fiber lasers and amplifiers for materials processing.

Development Status: 

Current stage of technology development:  TRL 4-5

LLNL has patent(s) on this invention.

U.S. Patent No. 11,462,878 All Solid Hybrid ARROW Fiber published 10/4/2022

LLNL is seeking industry partners with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Moving critical technology beyond the Laboratory to the commercial world helps our licensees gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. All licensing activities are conducted under policies relating to the strict nondisclosure of company proprietary information. 

Please visit the IPO website at https://ipo.llnl.gov/resources for more information on working with LLNL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process.

Note:  THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT.  Companies interested in commercializing LLNL's High Power Microstructured Optical Fiber Amplifier Design Mitigating Stability Limitations technology  should provide an electronic OR written statement of interest, which includes the following:

1. Company Name and address.
2. The name, address, and telephone number of a point of contact.
3. A description of corporate expertise and/or facilities relevant to commercializing this technology.

Please provide a complete electronic OR written statement to ensure consideration of your interest in LLNL's High Power Microstructured Optical Fiber Amplifier Design Mitigating Stability Limitations technology .

The subject heading in an email response should include the Notice ID and/or the title of LLNL’s Technology/Business Opportunity and directed to the Primary and Secondary Point of Contacts listed below.

Written responses should be directed to:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Innovation and Partnerships Office

P.O. Box 808, L-779

Livermore, CA  94551-0808

Attention:   IL-13352