Patent ID: 8792158

Claim:
A fiber laser comprising: a seed laser oscillator comprising an output, wherein the seed laser oscillator comprises a linear cavity or a ring cavity; a first amplifier stage comprising: an input and an output; a spool of dispersion fiber comprising an input and an output, wherein the output of the seed laser oscillator is coupled to the input of the spool of dispersion fiber; one or more pump diodes; a signal/pump combiner comprising an input and an output, wherein the one or more pump diodes and the output of the spool of dispersion fiber are coupled to the input of the signal/pump combiner; a gain fiber comprising a doped gain medium, an input, and an output, wherein the output of the signal/pump combiner is coupled to the input of the gain fiber; and a polarization maintaining isolator comprising an input and an output, wherein the output of the gain fiber is coupled to the input of the polarization maintaining isolator and the output of the polarization maintaining isolator is configured to emit a stretched and amplified laser pulse; wherein the output of the seed laser oscillator is coupled to the input of the first stage amplifier; and an amplifier chain comprising: an input and an output; and one or more amplifier units comprising: one or more pump diodes; a signal/pump combiner comprising an input and an output, wherein the one or more pump diodes and the output of the first amplifier stage are coupled to the input of the signal/pump combiner; a gain fiber comprising a doped gain medium, an input, and an output, wherein the output of the signal/pump combiner is coupled to the input of the gain fiber; and a polarization maintaining isolator comprising an input and an output, wherein the output of the gain fiber is coupled to the input of the polarization maintaining isolator and the output of the polarization maintaining isolator is configured to emit an amplified laser pulse; wherein the input of the amplifier chain is coupled to the output of the first amplifier stage and the output of the amplifier chain is configured to emit the amplified laser pulse.