Process and apparatus for a wavelength tuning source

• US RE47,675 E1
• Filed: 05/11/2016
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bouma, Brett Eugene, Yun, Seok-Hyun, Oh, Wang-Yuhl, De Boer, Johannes Fitzgerald, Tearney, Guillermo J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Menefee, James A
• Application Number:
  US15/151,789
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 372 20
• CPC Class Codes: N/A

Abstract

An apparatus and source arrangement for filtering an electromagnetic radiation can be provided which may include at least one spectral separating arrangement configured to physically separate one or more components of the electromagnetic radiation based on a frequency of the electromagnetic radiation. The apparatus and source arrangement may also have at least one continuously rotating optical arrangement which is configured to receive at least one signal that is associated with the one or more components. Further, the apparatus and source arrangement can include at least one beam selecting arrangement configured to receive the signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an arrangementa light source configured to emit an electromagnetic radiation that has, the light source including a cavity, a filter, and a gain medium which cause a spectrum whoseof the electromagnetic radiation to have a mean frequency that changes (i) at an absolute rate that is greater than about 100 terahertz per millisecond, and (ii) over a range that is greater than about 10 terahertz.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mean frequency changes repeatedly at a repetition rate that is greater than 5 kilohertz.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the spectrum has a tuning range whose center is approximately centered at 1300 nm.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the spectrum has a tuning range whose center is approximately centered at 850 nm.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the spectrum has a tuning range whose center is approximately centered at 1700 nm.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the spectrum has an instantaneous line width that is smaller than 100 gigahertz.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, the filter further comprising a polygon arrangement which is adapted to receive at least one signal that is associated with the emitted electromagnetic radiation, and at least one of reflect and deflect the at least one signal to a further location.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, the light source further comprising a laser resonating system forming an optical circuit and configured to control a spatial mode of the electromagnetic radiation.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the arrangement light source causes the electromagnetic radiation to propagate substantially unidirectionally within at least one portion of the laser resonating arrangement system.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising an optical circulator which is configured to control a direction of propagation of the electromagnetic radiation within the laser resonating arrangement system.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising an optical filtering system the filter being configured to at least one of transmit or reflect at least one portion of the electromagnetic radiation based on a frequency of the electromagnetic radiation, and wherein the at least one portion has a full-width-at-half-maximum frequency distribution which is less than about 100 GHz.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filter comprises a movable mirror.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a light source arrangement configured to emit an electromagnetic radiation, the light source arrangement including a cavity and a gain medium; and

a filter integrated with the light source arrangement,

wherein the light source arrangement and the filter in combination produce an output that has a spectrum whose mean frequency changes (i) at an absolute rate that is greater than about 100 terahertz per millisecond, and (ii) over a range that is greater than about 10 terahertz.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, the filter further comprising a polygon arrangement which is adapted to receive at least one signal that is associated with the emitted electromagnetic radiation, and at least one of reflect and deflect the at least one signal to a further location.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, the light source further comprising a laser resonating system forming an optical circuit and configured to control a spatial mode of the electromagnetic radiation.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the mean frequency changes repeatedly at a repetition rate that is greater than 5 kilohertz.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a light source arrangement configured to emit an electromagnetic radiation, the light source arrangement including a cavity and a gain medium; and

a filter combined with the light source arrangement,

wherein the combination of the light source arrangement and the filter produce an output that has a spectrum whose mean frequency changes (i) at an absolute rate that is greater than about 100 terahertz per millisecond, and (ii) over a range that is greater than about 10 terahertz.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, the filter further comprising a polygon arrangement which is adapted to receive at least one signal that is associated with the emitted electromagnetic radiation, and at least one of reflect and deflect the at least one signal to a further location.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, the light source further comprising a laser resonating system forming an optical circuit and configured to control a spatial mode of the electromagnetic radiation.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the mean frequency changes repeatedly at a repetition rate that is greater than 5 kilohertz.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a light source arrangement configured to emit an electromagnetic radiation; and

a filter coupled to the light source arrangement,

wherein the light source arrangement and the filter in combination produce an output that has a spectrum whose mean frequency changes (i) at an absolute rate that is greater than about 100 terahertz per millisecond, and (ii) over a range that is greater than about 10 terahertz.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, the filter further comprising a polygon arrangement which is adapted to receive at least one signal that is associated with the emitted electromagnetic radiation, and at least one of reflect and deflect the at least one signal to a further location.

23. The apparatus according to claim 21, the light source further comprising a laser resonating system forming an optical circuit and configured to control a spatial mode of the electromagnetic radiation.

24. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the mean frequency changes repeatedly at a repetition rate that is greater than 5 kilohertz.

25. An apparatus comprising:

a light source configured to emit an electromagnetic radiation, the light source including a cavity, a filter including a movable reflector, and a gain medium which cause a spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation to have a mean frequency that changes (i) at an absolute rate that is greater than about 100 terahertz per millisecond, and (ii) over a range that is greater than about 10 terahertz.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the movable reflector comprises a movable mirror.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the filter is tuned by varying a resonator length using the movable mirror.

28. The apparatus according to claim 25, the light source further comprising a laser resonating system forming an optical circuit and configured to control a spatial mode of the electromagnetic radiation.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the light source causes the electromagnetic radiation to propagate substantially unidirectionally within at least one portion of the laser resonating system.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, further comprising an optical circulator which is configured to control a direction of propagation of the electromagnetic radiation within the laser resonating system.

31. The apparatus according to claim 28, the filter being configured to at least one of transmit or reflect at least one portion of the electromagnetic radiation based on a frequency of the electromagnetic radiation, and wherein the at least one portion has a full-width-at-half-maximum frequency distribution which is less than about 100 GHz.