Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Hewlett-packard Company

New Focus, Inc.

Emmerich Mueller

Wolf Steffens

Peter Thoma

Bernd Nebendahl

Ulrich Kallmann

Edgar Leckel

Clemens Rueck

Ralf Haeussler

Christian Hentschel

Tobias Ruf

Jochen Schwarz

David F Arnone

Alexander V Tuganov

Ralf Henning Stolte

Hansjoerg Haisch

Bruce A Moore

Oliver Roesch

Harald Rosenfeldt

Clemens Ruck

Dietmar Patz

Hans-Juergen Snackers

Mark Kocher

Michael Schubert

A laser apparatus for providing a stabilized multi mode laser beam includes an external cavity for providing an optical path for generating a laser beam which is stimulated by a gain medium, where the external cavity has first spectral characteristics, and a mode-selecting filter positioned within the optical path and having second spectral characteristics. The first characteristics and the second characteristics are adjusted to each other, so that the laser beam has at least two selected modes.

External cavity laser with multiple stabilized modes

A wavelength tunable laser unit has a laser mode selection, and is adapted to provide a laser signal in accordance with one or more laser control parameters. For operating the laser unit, the laser signal is swept in a wavelength range, a laser operation signal indicative of the laser unit's operation during the sweep is received, and the laser operation signal is analyzed for detecting an indication of a mode hop occurred in the generated laser signals during the sweep. At least one correction value is determined based on the detected mode hop indication, and at least one of the one or more laser control parameters, applicable for a next wavelength sweep, is modified based on the determined at least one correction value.

Wavelength tunable laser source with parameter correction

An apparatus and to a method of monitoring an interferometer, comprising the steps of: coupling a first optical signal into the interferometer and into a wavelength reference element, detecting a first resulting interference signal being a result of interference of parts of the first optical signal in the interferometer, detecting a resulting reference signal of the wavelength reference element, the resulting reference signal being a result of interaction of the first optical signal with the wavelength reference element, and comparing the first resulting interference signal with the resulting reference signal to detect a drift of the interferometer, if any.

Method and apparatus for monitoring an interferometer

A laser being tunable in wavelength includes a first reflecting unit and a second reflecting unit, both reflecting units being arranged to at least partially reflect an incident beam of electromagnetic radiation towards each other, an optical path of said beam of electromagnetic radiation within said cavity, which is defined in length by said first and second reflecting unit, a dispersive device, which is arranged, such that a portion of said optical path of said beam of electromagnetic radiation traverses through said dispersive device, wherein said dispersive device comprises a dispersive characteristic representing a functional dependence of an optical path length of said portion with respect to wavelength of said electromagnetic radiation, wherein said optical path length increases with an increasing wavelength of said electromagnetic radiation.

Wavelength tunable laser with dispersive element

An apparatus and method of controlling an optical signal includes superimposing at least one optical reference signal and the optical signal to obtain at least one interference signal having an actual beat frequency, and pre-selecting one or more of the at least one interference signals using a predetermined bandwidth and a filter characteristic that is asymmetric with respect to an actual frequency of the optical signal, to determine a position of the optical signal relative to the at least one optical reference signal.

Controlling an optical source using a beat frequency

A wavelength tunable laser resonator includes first and second resonator end reflectors for reflecting a beam of electromagnetic radiation towards each other, the first and second resonator end reflectors defining a resonator having an optical path with a length, a gain medium for generating and/or amplifying and emitting the beam towards the first and second resonator end reflectors, arranged within the resonator, and a diffractive optical element within the optical path to filter a wavelength of the beam and to focus a portion of the beam towards the gain medium. One of the resonator end reflectors are movable with respect to other optical elements within the resonator for increasing or decreasing the length of the optical path. The diffractive optical element is movable with respect to other optical elements within the resonator for adapting the filtered wavelength to the increase or decrease of the optical path length.

Wavelength tunable laser with diffractive optical element

A laser source includes a laser medium having a back facet and a front surface, whereby the laser medium is adapted to emit a laser beam through the front surface into an external cavity defined in length by a cavity end mirror reflecting the laser beam back towards the laser medium. A wavelength tunable filter is arranged between the laser medium and the cavity end mirror adapted for tuning the wavelength of the laser beam. The laser medium, the wavelength tunable filter, and the cavity end mirror are arranged in a spatially linear cavity structure substantially in a line without angular redirection of the laser beam in the cavity between the laser medium and the cavity end mirror. At least one portion of the laser beam within the cavity after passing the wavelength tunable filter and before again passing the laser medium is coupled out as an output beam of the laser source, and the cavity end mirror is provided to be partly transparent for coupling out a first output beam.

Linear cavity tunable laser

A connecting device for providing an optical connection between an apparatus comprising a apparatus port and provided for receiving and/or sending optical signals, and at least one optical fiber comprising a connector. The connecting device comprises a support plate supporting at least one adapter. The adapter comprises an adapter contact adapted for a plug connection with the apparatus port of the apparatus, and a connector contact adapted for a plug and/or screw connection with the connector of the fiber. The support plate provides a grip for manually plugging in/off all of its adapters simultaneously into/from the respective apparatus ports.

Optical connecting device for coupling connectors to an apparatus with multiple ports

A setup for providing an optical contact adapted for guiding an optical signal comprises an optical waveguide being adapted for guiding the optical signal and comprising a tip on an end of the waveguide, wherein the tip comprises a transparent elastic material covering the end. A detector is provided for detecting a substantial alignment between the waveguide and an optical path within a device under test, and a first moving unit is used to move the waveguide laterally relative to a longitudinal direction of the waveguide and the device under test until the detector substantially detects the alignment. A second moving unit is adapted to reduce the distance between the tip and the device under test until the tip comes in physical contact with the device under test when the detector has detected alignment.

Contacting an optical waveguide to a device under test

An apparatus and a method of determination of at least one optical parameter of an optical signal includes providing a beam of the optical signal having a diameter, manipulating the beam, the manipulation having polarization properties, the properties being dependent of the position in the beam laterally with respect to a direction of propagation of the beam during manipulation, detecting in intensities at least three parts of the beam in their dependence of the position in the beam laterally with respect to a direction of propagation of the beam during detection.

Determination of an optical parameter of an optical signal

An apparatus for processing an insulated fiber includes an optical fiber provided with insulation a retention device, which clamps the insulated fiber placed inside it, and a holder-bracket assembly comprising two holder brackets, between which a projecting section of the insulated fiber is located in a starting position beyond the retention device and is clamped in the retention device, which can be adjusted in relation to each other and perpendicular to fiber and which hold a section of the fiber insulation to be removed in a holding position. A cutting device is provided that cuts into the insulation to be removed perpendicular to the fiber. The retention device and the holder-bracket assembly can be adjusted in relation to each other, parallel to the fiber, during which the fiber is fixed in relation to the retention device, while the cut-off insulation is fixed in relation to the holder-bracket assembly.

Machining an insulated optical fiber

A method and an apparatus for tuning a laser includes creating a laser with a path between a cavity end element and a tuning element of an external cavity, both being a high reflective or semitransparent mirror, selecting at least one longitudinal mode of the laser by introducing a dispersion element in the path of the laser, rotating the tuning element about a pivot axis theoretically defined by the intersection of the surface planes of the cavity end element, the dispersion element and the tuning element to tune the laser. The method and apparatus also provides for moving the dispersion element along such a predetermined path to at least partly compensate an inclination between the real position of the pivot axis and the theoretically defined position.

Tuning a laser

A wavelength-determining unit for determining the wavelengths of a plurality of successive optical signals &lgr;(t) includes a wavemeter unit for determining first wavelength values &lgr;1(t) for the optical signals &lgr;(t). An absolute-measuring unit having unambiguous wavelength properties at known absolute wavelength values determines second wavelength values &lgr;2(t) as such of the known absolute wavelength values covered by the optical signals &lgr;(t). An evaluation unit receives the determined first &lgr;1(t) and second &lgr;2(t) wavelength values and provides forcorrected wavelength values &lgr;1&prime;(t) based on a comparison of the determined first &lgr;1(t) and second &lgr;2(t) wavelength values.

Wavelength measurement adjustment

A wavemeter for determining a wavelength of an incoming optical beam. The wavemeter comprises a coarse-measuring unit determining in a first wavelength range a first wavelength value as representing the wavelength of the incoming optical beam, and a fine-measuring unit providing a wavelength determination for the incoming optical beam that is ambiguous within the first wavelength range but unambiguous in each of a plurality of unambiguous wavelength ranges, so that a plurality of different wavelength values correspond to a measuring value as measured by the fine-measuring unit for the incoming optical beam. The wavemeter further comprises an evaluation unit for determining a second wavelength range as the one of the plurality of unambiguous wavelength ranges that covers the first wavelength value, and for determining a second wavelength value as the one of the plurality of different wavelength values that corresponds to the measuring value in the second wavelength range. The second wavelength value is output as measuring result of the wavemeter representing the wavelength of the incoming optical beam.

High-accuracy wavemeter

The invention relates to a method of tuning a laser, comprising the steps of: providing a laser beam to an external cavity, the laser beam traveling through material along a path between a cavity end element and a tuning element, the path having an optical path length, selecting at least one mode of the laser by introducing a dispersion element in the path of the laser, rotating the tuning element about a pivot axis theoretically defined by the intersection of the surface planes of the cavity end element, the dispersion element and the tuning element to tune the laser, changing the optical path length of the path in order to at least partly compensate a shift between the real position of the pivot axis and the theoretically defined position.

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Aidlingen, Germany

Emmerich Mueller