Fiber Coil Resonator for Optical Gain

Abstract

We have developed a cheap design for a device using 3D printed parts and simple motors to fabricate a rare earth metal doped fiber coil amplifier. We also have measurements for bending losses in a small coil and absorption of the solar spectrum in an EDFA. This research will result in the creation of a design researchers can download, 3D print, and assemble to create their own fiber coils to whatever specifications are needed. These fabricated optical devices can be used for military laser defense systems, optical concentration such as solar concentrators, microfiber resonator coils or fiber coil gyroscopes. A rare earth metal doped fiber will be tightly wrapped around an acrylic tube with no gap between rings of the coil so that when the rings are epoxied together with a similar refractive index epoxy and removed from the glass tube, it creates an effective cylinder. Because this fiber is wrapped around in many windings, a long path is created for the signal wavelength to be amplified through while the device itself is compact enough to be portable and implemented in smaller areas. This will allow for very large gain in a device that is structured to take up little space in a small volume as opposed to a cumbersome great length in a fiber many meters long.