Abstract: An ultra-broadband, variable and multiple wavelength, waveform shaping apparatus is disclosed that excels with the ability to yield light pulses shaped in waveform, variable and multiple in wavelength over an ultra-broad bandwidth, the pulses being as short as in the order of pico-seconds or less, or even in the order of femto-seconds.

Abstract: A modulation control system is used in fiber optic data transmission and fiber optic test equipment. A modulation controller includes a plurality of function generators that are linked by a switching mechanics, to a rail system that drives a plurality of laser source cards. The switching mechanism for each rail is capable of driving the rail at the function-generated waveform or switching to an external source waveform. The laser source cards are intelligent in the sense that they can be programmably controlled by switching to select waveforms from a selected one of the rails.

Abstract: A monolithic semiconductor optical device with excellent temperature and modulation characteristics and associated method of manufacturing whereby the device has a semiconductor substrate, a semi-insulating buried heterostructure GaInAsP-based DFB laser; and either a buried ridge type AlGaInAs-based EA or a self aligned structure (SAS) AlGaInAs-based EA modulator.

Abstract: An asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulator is disclosed having an adjustable resonant cavity length. A preferred embodiment of the invention includes an asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulator having a first reflector adjustably mounted to another portion of the modulator containing a second reflector. The length of the resonant cavity is adjusted by microelectomechanically changing the distance from the first reflector to the second reflector. In turn, this change of the resonant cavity length may tune the modulator to an optimal wavelength corresponding to the electro-absorptance material in the modulator.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a wavelength-swept laser and a method for generating laser output. The wavelength-swept pulse laser according to one aspect of the present invention uses spontaneous mode-locking to produce a pulse output with the center wavelength continuously varying with time. On the contrary, the wavelength-swept laser according to another aspect of the present invention suppresses mode-locking to produce continuous output by tuning the filter frequency change speed to the frequency shift speed of the frequency shifter. The lasers of the present invention are applicable to optical sensing or WDM optical communication.

Abstract: One or more single mode waveguide devices are fiber coupled such that signals to an optical element affect the coupling of the waveguide device to one or more on chip modulators and to an optical fiber. The optical element or additional optical elements are controlled to adjust the coupling of the waveguide device to an on chip modulator and to an optical fiber.

Abstract: An optical transmitter includes a laser driver capable of receiving data and applying the data to drive a laser diode over a transmission line having first and second ends. The first end of the transmission line is coupled to an output of the laser driver. A first terminal of an amplifier is coupled to the second end of the transmission line. A second terminal of the amplifier is coupled to the laser diode. The signal amplitude applied at the first terminal controls optical output amplitude of the laser diode.

Abstract: A laser includes a first region with a first moveguide having a first diffraction grating, a second region with a second waveguide having a second diffraction grating, and a phase controlling region with a third waveguide and a phase control unit for controlling an effective refractive index of the third waveguide. The phase controlling region, the first region and the second region are coupled serially along a light propagation direction in this order, and are constructed such that light to the first region from the phase controlling region is enlarged relatively to light to the phase controlling region from the first region, or constructed such that a coupling coefficient of the first diffraction grating in the first region adjacent to the phase controlling region is smaller than a coupling coefficient of the second diffraction grating in the second region away from the phase controlling region.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for modulating a phase of optical beam with reduced contact loss. In one embodiment, an apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention includes a first region of an optical waveguide disposed in semiconductor material. The first region has a first conductivity type. The apparatus further includes a second region of the optical waveguide disposed in the semiconductor material. The second region has a second conductivity type, which is opposite to the first conductivity type. A first contact is coupled to the optical waveguide at a first location, which is outside an optical path of an optical beam that is to be directed through the optical waveguide. A first buffer of insulating material is disposed along the optical waveguide between the first contact and the optical path of the optical beam. A buffer plug of insulating material disposed in the optical waveguide on a same side as the first location.

Abstract: A laser apparatus includes a semiconductor laser element, a surface-emitting semiconductor element including a first mirror, a second mirror, and a modulation unit. The semiconductor laser element emits first laser light having a first wavelength. The surface-emitting semiconductor element is excited with the first laser light, emits second laser light having a second wavelength which is longer than the first wavelength. The first mirror in the surface-emitting semiconductor element is arranged on one side of the first active layer. The second mirror is arranged outside the surface-emitting semiconductor element so that the first and second mirrors form a resonator in which the second laser light resonates. The modulation unit modulates the surface-emitting semiconductor element.

Abstract: One embodiment disclosed relates to a system for modulating a plurality of micro-electromechanical (MEM) devices. The system includes a means for providing an amplitude modulation signal to each MEM device at a base frequency and a means for providing a width modulation signal at the base frequency. In addition, the system includes a clock means for providing a higher-frequency clock signal with a frequency that is a multiple of the base frequency. In this embodiment, the width modulation signal for each MEM device indicates at least one position on the higher-frequency clock signal.

Abstract: A laser diode control circuit comprises a load portion, a control portion, a bias current circuit portion, and a modulation current circuit portion. The load portion generates a signal V1 which corresponds to a photocurrent corresponding to an amount of light received in a monitoring photodetector for receiving light from a laser light generating portion. The control portion generates first and second control signals V2, V3 from a value Db, a value Dm, an amount of change &Dgr;Dm, and an amount of change &Dgr;Db. The amount of change &Dgr;Dm is generated using a function f(Db,&Dgr;Db)=&Dgr;Dm which is defined such that the light emission power and the extinction ratio become constant. The first control signal V2 is generated from &Dgr;Db and Db in order to modify a bias current Ib, whereas the second control signal V3 is generated from values corresponding to &Dgr;Dm and Dm in order to modify a modulation current Im.

Abstract: The invention in question relates to a laser arrangement (1). The device includes the means (2, 4) to steer the laser beam across a reflecting body (3). The body (3) is arranged to reflect the said laser beam so that it is aimed in a surrounding space within an area that, from an instrument plane (11) of the reflecting body (3), covers at least a part of a circular revolution, as well as an angle interval approximately ±60° to the instrument plane. The device is characterized in that its steering means (2, 4) is arranged in the path of the laser beam between the laser (1) and the reflecting body (3), and is arranged to steer the laser beam, within the area, in accordance with a pre-selected direction, whereby the steering means comprises a spatial light modulator (2), whose phase-shift pattern determines the modulated angle from the modulator.

Abstract: A frequency modulated laser comprises a laser cavity in which the gain section of the laser cavity is imbedded within a phase modulation section of the cavity. The laser cavity further comprises electrically-sensitive material, so that an electric field applied across the laser cavity changes the index of refraction within the laser cavity according to the magnitude of the change in the electric field. Uniformly and simultaneously changing the index of refraction along the laser cavity length modulates the frequency of the laser light produced within the laser cavity. The upper bound of the frequency modulation is limited by the propagation time for the electric field to cross the laser cavity.

Abstract: One optical base is provided on each side of a housing that houses a laser oscillator. Optical parts of an optical resonator are fixed to the optical bases. The optical bases are fixed to each other, independently from the housing, by supporting rods. A plate spring and two dampers fix the respective optical base to respective end of the housing. The plate spring bends in the direction of the laser beam when the housing deforms. The damper attenuates oscillation generated due to the displacement of the housing.

Abstract: The invention concerns an ultrahigh frequency emitting device, having: at least a first and a second microlaser (22, 24), emitting at two different frequencies &ohgr;1 and &ohgr;2, means of slaving the first and the second microlaser frequency-wise, an array of N elements (N≧2) (52, 54, 56, 58) placed on the path of the beam of the second laser, each element making it possible to impose a phase delay on the beam which passes through it, N means (26, 28, 30, 32) for mixing the beam emitted by the first laser and each of the N delayed beams, and for producing N signals of frequency &ohgr;1-&ohgr;2, N antenna-forming means (34, 36, 38, 40) for emitting radiation at the frequency &ohgr;1-&ohgr;2.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for laser array synchronization using master laser injection of broad area lasers. A method, includes: master laser injecting a plurality of broad area lasers; and externally cavity coupling the plurality of broad area lasers. A method, includes: master laser injecting a plurality of broad area lasers; and externally Q switch coupling the plurality of broad area lasers. A method, includes: injection synchronizing a plurality of pulsed broad area lasers using a signal source; modulating the plurality of pulsed broad area lasers using the signal source; and externally coupling the plurality of pulsed broad area lasers.

Abstract: A key requirement of a fiber optic communication system is its ability to transmit data from one location to another relatively free of errors in the data stream. The data stream error rate is a function of the error rate of the laser module utilized to transmit the data. A fast and efficient method of testing a laser module, in order to estimate its bit error rate, is to measure side mode suppression ratios of the laser module output while operating the laser module at each of a first and second bias setting, and to generate a test result for the laser module in accordance with the difference between the first and second side mode suppression ratio measurements. Furthermore, a system is provided for performing this laser module testing method.

Abstract: The invention relates to laser technology and fiber optics. A dispersion element based on a planar photonic crystal structure formed in a layer of a high index material is disclosed. The planar photonic structure in one embodiment comprises a plurality of parallel grooves with a predetermined width and depth, wherein a pulse propagates perpendicular to the grooves, and a length of the dispersion element is defined so that to provide maximum compression of a phase-modulated pulse. The periodic structure in accordance with a second embodiment comprises a two-dimensional periodic structure shown in FIG.

Abstract: A fluid flow concept is applied in an optical apparatus to define a high gain stand-off, fast electro-optical q-switch which is highly impervious to high average power optical loads.

Abstract: A method for recording an image on a photosensitive surface, comprising: producing a primary pulsed light beam; converting the primary light beam, in a light wavelength converter separate from the pulsed light source, to an ultraviolet pulsed light beam; modulating the ultraviolet pulsed beam; and scanning the ultraviolet pulsed light over the surface to record an image on the photosensitive surface.

Abstract: A laser system comprises a laser diode with an active region and reflectors at both ends. An outcoupling aperture is located between the reflectors to couple light out of the device through the surface. The gain region increases in width as it nears the outcoupling aperture.

Abstract: The present invention uses an intra-cavity modulation approach to modulate a laser transmitter at bandwidths greater than a few gigahertz (GHz) in a non-ambiguous waveform by chirping the laser and simultaneously mode locking. Accordingly, the inventive system includes a source of a beam of electromagnetic energy; a mechanism for mode locking the beam; and an arrangement for chirping the beam. In the illustrative embodiment, the source is a laser. The mode locking mechanism may be an active element or a passive element. The beam is chirped with a translation mirror. The translation mirror may be driven with a piezo-electric drive coupled. In the best mode, the carrier is chirped with an electro-optical crystal disposed in the cavity of the laser. The laser is chirped to the free-spectral range limit, which is typically a few hundred megahertz, by scanning the optical length of the laser resonator.

Abstract: A method and apparatus that can generate two frequencies separated by the atomic hyperfine frequency separation needed to excite resonance in a Cs atom. In the present invention a coherent light source is frequency modulated with a modulation frequency having a sine wave to generate a lightwave. The lightwave comprises the two coherent optical fields having the frequency separation needed to excite resonance in the Cs atom. The modulation frequency can then be adjusted in order to fine-tune the frequency separation of the two coherent optical fields. The present invention also provides a method for localizing about 50% of the power in the lightwave at the two coherent optical fields by frequency modulating the light source with a square wave.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method to create images on large and distant backdrops such as clouds.

Abstract: A high efficiency light emitting diode (LED) driver circuit utilizes a capacitor to regulate the LED driving current. The voltage across the capacitor is monitored to maintain a preselected low threshold voltage on the capacitor, which determines the LED optical emission intensity. The capacitor provides the LED driver current by discharging through the LED during transmission intervals, and the power supply for the device is used only to maintain the capacitor charge level. The LED driver circuit accordingly operates at high efficiency with low power consumption. The LED driver current can be regulated by changing the low and high threshold voltages of the capacitor pump controller, thereby to control the optical intensity of the LED.

Abstract: A system including a laser and a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) and a method of generating a dithered laser light with substantially constant amplitude with this system. The laser drive current is modulated to generate a modulated laser light with optical linewidth dithering. The modulated laser light is coupled into the SOA. The SOA drive current is modulated approximately 180° out of phase with the laser drive current to generate the dithered laser light with substantially constant amplitude.

Abstract: A method for forming a set of DFB lasers includes the steps of forming active layers having different peak gain wavelengths, measuring the peak gain wavelengths of the active layers, and forming diffraction gratings having periods based on the measured peak gain wavelengths, the periods allowing the detuning amount of the DFB laser device to fall within a design value.

Abstract: A mode-locked laser apparatus includes a mode-locked laser oscillator, a detection device for detecting changes in the optical path length of the mode-locked laser oscillator by utilizing the chromatic dispersion characteristics of the optical path, an optical path length controller that controls the optical path length of the laser oscillator, and a feedback circuit that controls the optical path length controller by means of the signal detected by the detection device.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser device has an active layer which is divided into two regions in the direction of a resonator, i.e., a light-amplifying region and a saturable absorber region. The light-amplifying region and the saturable absorber region are produced to allow the semiconductor laser device to be in a bistable state. For the light-amplifying region and the saturable absorber region respectively, p-electrodes are separately and independently formed. N-electrodes are provided in relation to the p-electrodes. From one of the p-electrodes, a current which is modulated with noise added thereto is injected.

Abstract: Methods and systems for using a laser type clock to produce a train of ultra-stable optical pulses. The methods and systems include generating an approximately 10 GHz ultralow noise pulse train from a harmonically modelocked laser having an intracavity Fabry-Perot etalon filter from a semiconductor lasers such as ring lasers, and the like. System output can have residual phase modulation(PM) noise values of approximately 18 fs and amplitude modulation(AM) noise values of approximately 0.05% RMS, and residual phase modulation(PM) noise values of approximately 94 fs and amplitude modulation(AM) noise values of approximately 0.05% RMS.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating optical pulses using an active mode-locking laser that includes a first modulation device, an optical selection device, a second modulation device and an amplification device. The method includes the steps of using the first modulation device to modulate a lightwave, selecting a modulation lightwave signal having a high frequency component by passing a lightwave through the optical selection device in a first direction, using the second modulation device to modulate a lightwave, selecting a modulation lightwave signal having a high frequency component by passing a lightwave through the optical selection device in a second direction, amplifying the lightwave selected by the above step, and supplying the amplified lightwave to the first modulation device.

Abstract: A compensating electrical signal is applied to one or more sections of a laser to over-compensate for chirp from an external modulator employed for intensity modulation. The chirp of the laser is adjustable by design or electrical control.

Abstract: A unit has an array of lasers having an emission surface through which beams can be emitted in a substantially vertical direction so as to define an emission side, drive electronics connected to a side opposite to the emission side of the array of lasers, and an array of modulators, located on the emission side of the array of lasers and connected to the drive electronics.

Abstract: In a semiconductor optical modulator of this invention, each quantum-well layer and each barrier layer of a quantum-well structure serving as a light absorption layer are respectively made of In1-X-YGaXAlYN (0≦X, Y≦1, 0≦X+Y≦1) and In1-X′-Y′GaX′AlY′N (0≦X′, Y′≦1, 0≦X′+Y′≦1). An electric field is being generated in the light absorption layer by spontaneous polarization.

Abstract: An optical wavelength conversion device includes: two or more non-linear optical crystals each having approximately identical phase matching conditions for a fundamental wave light and a second harmonic wave light; and a phase adjusting section inserted between the adjacent non-linear optical crystals, wherein the phase adjusting section a dispersion characteristic which is different from that of the non-linear optical crystals, and the phase adjusting section is formed so as to allow at least one of a refractive index or a length thereof to be modulated.

Abstract: A microcontroller-based controller executes interleaved DC bias and gain control routines using monitored values of the monitored photocurrent output signal of a Mach-Zehnder laser modulator to derive a gain setting for the modulation drive signal and a bias level setting for the DC bias level, without tuning or adjustment. Subsequent to convergence of the gain and bias level settings, the control unit may repetitively interrupt and restart the DC bias and gain control routine at intervals that are staggered in a random time fashion, to achieve spectral dispersion of the gain and bias level settings, and provide insensitivity to periodic environmental noise.

Abstract: In order to form a wavelength tunable laser capable of tuning a wave over a wide range by simple control means, a thin film heater is mounted either over an upper electrode of a ridge waveguide semiconductor laser having ridge waveguides on a semiconductor substrate or over the semiconductor substrate and on both sides of the ridge waveguide with a gap of a few &mgr;m. By controlling a current passed to the thin film heater, the oscillation wavelength of the semiconductor laser is tuned. In the case where the thin film heater is mounted over an upper electrode of a ridge waveguide, a nonconductor is formed on both sides of the ridge conductor to more efficiently enable heat from the heater to reach an active layer of the ridge waveguide more efficiently.

Abstract: A system for producing a green or UV output beam for illuminating a large area with relatively high beam fluence. A Nd:glass laser produces a near-infrared output by means of an oscillator that generates a high quality but low power output and then multi-pass through and amplification in a zig-zag slab amplifier and wavefront correction in a phase conjugator at the midway point of the multi-pass amplification. The green or UV output is generated by means of conversion crystals that follow final propagation through the zig-zag slab amplifier.

Abstract: A multi-wavelength external cavity laser system is disclosed, wherein an array of individual laser elements is placed in a shared laser cavity for all wavelengths that is defined by a free space grating, an optional reflector, and a single relay lens. Laser radiation from the cavity can be externally modulated at each wavelength and outputted as an overlapping beam having substantially all the wavelengths produced by the laser elements through a single fiber or as an array of wavelength-separated beams. A modular design facilitates the addition and/or repair of individual or several channels.

Abstract: A surface emitting laser device comprising, on a semiconductor substrate, an active region for generating light, a current confinement region disposed on the side opposite to the semiconductor substrate relative to the active region, an optical cavity comprising reflectors putting the active region and the current confinement region vertically therebetween in the direction of layering the semiconductor layer, a first electrode disposed on the side of the semiconductor substrate relative to the current confinement region and a second electrode disposed on the side opposite to the semiconductor layer relative to the current confinement region, and having a layered structure capable of forming 2-dimensional carriers between the current confinement region and the second electrode, in which a current flowing from the electrode to the current confinement region has a component in the horizontal direction relative to the surface of the substrate and is conducted mainly by way of the channel for the 2-dimensional car

Abstract: A directly modulatable laser comprising an active medium inside a laser cavity formed by a resonator mirror and an out-coupling mirror, and a pump light source exciting the active medium. It is characterized in that the active medium generates radiation of two wavelengths (&lgr;1 and &lgr;2) and the resonator mirror is constructed as a controllable reflector by which the reflectivity is controllable for each of the two wavelengths (&lgr;1 and &lgr;2) and the controllable reflector is connected with a control unit, wherein the reflection factor is controlled in such a way that the inversion density of the electrons which is generated in the active medium is constant and the light output of one of the wavelengths ((&lgr;1) is controllable between a minimum value and a maximum value according to an applied control signal, wherein the control of the two wavelengths ((&lgr;1 and &lgr;2) is carried out in push-pull.

Abstract: In the initial state, any wavelength variation of the output signal light with a change of the current injected into the laser is monitored with a wavelength meter, the quantity of wavelength variation is fed back to the wavelength compensation circuit, a compensation voltage for maintaining the wavelength in the initial stage is figured out, and that voltage is recorded into a memory element or the like. A configuration to add this compensation voltage to a comparator makes it possible to compensate for fluctuations of the characteristics of the optical splitter, wavelength filter and light receiving elements and thereby to obtain a stable optical wavelength. By constantly monitoring the injected current applied to the laser when the optical transmitter is in operation and giving a compensation voltage matching the current variation to the comparator, stabilization of the optical wavelength can be realized.

Abstract: Optical chirped return-to-zero (CRZ) data signals are generated without the need for a separate phase modulator, by using a dual-drive Mach-Zehnder modulator for RZ pulse carving that is driven with two typically sinusoidal signals of either unequal amplitude or unequal relative phase, i.e. of non-vanishing phase difference.

Abstract: The present invention provides a surface emitting laser and a photodiode which permit secure mounting even in mounting by flip chip bonding, and high-speed modulation. The present invention also provides a manufacturing method therefor and an optoelectric integrated circuit using the surface emitting laser and the photodiode. Semiconductor stacked layers stacked on a semiconductor substrate have a light emitting portion and a reinforcing portion formed with a recessed portion provided therebetween, and a p-type ohmic electrode and an n-type ohmic electrode are formed on the top of the reinforcing portion. The p-type ohmic electrode is electrically connected to a p-type contact layer through a contact hole vertically formed in polyimide buried in the recessed portion to permit supply of a current to the light emitting portion in the thickness direction.

Abstract: To resolve a problem in which in an optical output and wavelength monitor integrated type semiconductor laser module monolithically integrated in parallel with a plurality of semiconductor lasers, since light emitting positions of the respective semiconductor lasers differ, an allowable range of an optical incident position of the monitor is exceeded, the optical incident position of the monitor is confined in the allowable range by integrating backward optical waveguides for guiding backward beam of the respective semiconductor lasers to a narrow range at a backward end of a semiconductor chip along with the semiconductor lasers, whereby there can be easily realized a semiconductor laser module with a built-in optical monitor even in the case of the chip integrated with the plurality of semiconductor lasers and can be realized an inexpensive optical module having high function.

Abstract: The present invention has applications in high-bandwidth communications systems and other applications that utilize modulated optical energy. In one aspect of the invention, a short cavity diode-pumped laser generates optical energy that may be modulated over a wide range of frequencies. In one embodiment, the short cavity diode-pumped laser may be modulated at rates up to 15 GHz. The short cavity diode-pumped laser may include a laser diode modulator and a laser coupled to the laser diode modulator having a cavity lifetime of less than about 100 picoseconds.

Abstract: Photonic arbitrary waveform methods and generation by manipulating the phase-locked longitudinal modes of an approximately 12.4 GHz fundamentally modelocked external-cavity semiconductor laser are demonstrated. Photonically synthesized sine waves (center frequency of approximately 37.2 GHz, linewidth less than approximately 100 Hz, dynamic range approximately 50 dB at approximately 100 Hz resolution bandwidth) and complex, arbitrarily shaped optical/microwave frequency waveforms with instantaneous bandwidths up to approximately 75 GHz are shown. A WDM filter can be used to separate individual longitudinal modes of a modelocked laser. Photonic arbitrary generation occurs through the modulation of individual channels before recombining the channels, followed by amplifying the output.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a novel apparatus and method for stabilizing the frequency of a laser. To avoid the effect that a single-frequency absorption spectrum is easy to be affected by variations of laser power and the complexity to modulate a laser frequency, the present invention adopts at least two laser beams at different frequencies and obtains an error signal that is a difference in absorption spectrums of the laser beams. Since the error signal is a difference between two laser beams coming from an identical laser source, the variation of laser power could be eliminated. Furthermore, since the absorption spectrum is usually above hundreds of (MHz), the range of locked frequency of the present invention is large, and the laser frequency is not easily unlocked due to outside disturbance.

Abstract: Digital optical sources and methods of operating the same are described. In one aspect, a digital optical source includes a laser, an optical intensity modulator, and a drive circuit. The laser is operable to generate light of higher output optical power in a high output power mode and to generate light of lower output optical power in a low output power mode. The optical intensity modulator is coupled to receive light from the laser and is operable to intensity modulate the received laser light less in a high output power mode and to intensity modulate the received laser light more in a low output power mode. The drive circuit is coupled to the laser and the optical intensity modulator and is configured so that the laser and the optical intensity modulator are operated synchronously in high output power modes and in low output power modes.