Patent · US Expired

Passively mode locked-laser and method for generating a pseudo random optical pulse train

US5488620A · kind A · utility

20Cited by
1References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJan 5, 1995
Grant dateJan 30, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 5, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S3/1022
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

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.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.