Passively mode locked-laser and method for generating a pseudo random optical pulse train
First Claim
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1. A passively mode-locked laser, comprising:
- an optical resonant cavity that is capable of sustaining the oscillation of a plurality of resonant modes having respective phases;
a saturable absorber that is positioned in the resonant cavity, said saturable absorber having a threshold beyond which a pseudo random pulse train is generated; and
a pump that injects power into the resonant cavity at a level at which the optical intensity that is incident on the saturable absorber exceeds said threshold.
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Abstract
A passively mode-locked laser and method for generating a coherent pseudo random pulse train is disclosed. The laser comprises an optical resonant cavity that is capable of sustaining the oscillation of a plurality of resonant modes having respective phases. A saturable absorber is positioned in the resonant cavity and has an optical intensity threshold beyond which multiple mode-locked pulses with random starting times are generated in the resonant cavity and periodically emitted by the laser. A pump injects power into the resonant cavity at a level at which the optical intensity that is incident on the saturable absorber exceeds the optical intensity threshold.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A passively mode-locked laser, comprising:
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an optical resonant cavity that is capable of sustaining the oscillation of a plurality of resonant modes having respective phases; a saturable absorber that is positioned in the resonant cavity, said saturable absorber having a threshold beyond which a pseudo random pulse train is generated; and a pump that injects power into the resonant cavity at a level at which the optical intensity that is incident on the saturable absorber exceeds said threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A passively mode-locked laser, comprising:
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an optical resonant cavity that is capable of sustaining the oscillation of a plurality of resonant modes with respective phases, said cavity having a loss mechanism that tends to distribute the laser energy over time; a saturable absorber that is positioned in the resonant cavity and tends to concentrate the laser energy in time by forcing the modes'"'"' phases to be approximately equal, said loss mechanism and said saturable absorber combining to establish a threshold beyond which a pseudo random pulse train is produced; and a pump that injects power into the resonant cavity at a level at which the optical intensity incident in the cavity exceeds said threshold. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A passively mode-locked fiber optic laser, comprising:
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a first optic fiber having first and second ends, said fiber being doped to provide an active gain medium which is capable of sustaining the oscillation of a plurality of resonant modes having respective phases; a nonlinear reflector that is coupled to the first end of the fiber, said nonlinear reflector having a threshold beyond which a pseudo random pulse train is generated; an optical coupler that is coupled to the second end of the fiber for input coupling optical power into said fiber and output coupling said pseudo random pulse train; and a pumping laser diode that provides said optical power to said optical coupler at a level at which the optical intensity that is incident on the nonlinear reflector exceeds said threshold. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for generating a pseudo random optical pulse train, comprising:
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providing an active gain medium that is capable of emitting light at discrete frequencies; amplifying the light at a plurality of modes; distributing the optical energy over time as a function of optical intensity; concentrating the optical energy in time as a function of optical intensity to establish a threshold beyond which said pseudo random pulse train is produced; and pumping said active gain medium with a sufficient amount of power so that the optical intensity exceeds said threshold. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification