Patent ID: 11860508
Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
Field: Optics (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A light-emitting system comprising:
a plurality of optical fibers, each of which including a wavelength-converting portion containing a wavelength-converting element, the wavelength-converting element being able to be excited by excitation light to produce a spontaneous emission of light having a longer wavelength than the excitation light and also excited by an amplified spontaneous emission of light;
a plurality of first light source units associated one-to-one with the plurality of optical fibers, each of the plurality of first light source units being configured to emit the excitation light to an associated one of the plurality of optical fibers;
a plurality of second light source units, each of the plurality of optical fibers being associated with at least two of the plurality of second light source units, each of the plurality of second light source units being configured to emit seed light to an associated one of the plurality of optical fibers, the seed light causing the wavelength-converting element that has been excited by either the excitation light or the amplified spontaneous emission of light to produce a stimulated emission of light; and
a light-guiding member,
wherein the wavelength-converting element includes Pr3+ and Tb3+,
the excitation light has a wavelength equal to or longer than 350 nm and equal to or shorter than 500 nm, and
the light-guiding member is configured to receive respective light from the plurality of optical fibers, guide the light, and allow the light to emerge from the light-guiding member.