Patent · US Expired

Wavelength selectable laser source

US6028881A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
2References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 10, 1997
Grant dateFeb 22, 2000
Priority date—
Expiry dateNov 10, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S3/2383
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention, a wavelength selectable laser source comprises a tunable pump source, an array of waveguide lasers for emitting light at respectively different wavelengths and a router for directing light from the pump source to an appropriate waveguide laser. A second router can be used to direct all laser outputs to a common output waveguide. The result is a wavelength selectable, stable signal source. In preferred embodiments the routers are dense wavelength-division multiplexers (DWDMs) and the waveguide lasers are rare-earth doped fiber lasers. Alternative embodiments provide a variety of ways of routing the pumping source.

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