Institut National D'optique

Michel Jacob

Yves Taillon

Pascal Deladurantaye

Louis Desbiens

Yvan Mimeault

Michel Doucet

Marco Michele Sisto

André Fougeres

Andre Parent

André Parent

François Duchesne

There is described a terahertz illumination source for terahertz imaging. The terahertz illumination source generally has: a surface; a plurality of terahertz radiation emitting elements mounted to said surface; a plurality of individual beam shaping elements each being optically coupled to a respective one of said terahertz radiation emitting elements; a collective beam shaper optically coupled to at least some of said individual beam shaping elements; and a control signal generator communicatively coupled to said terahertz radiation emitting elements, said control signal generator supplying a plurality of control signals to said terahertz radiation emitting elements, said terahertz radiation emitting elements emitting a plurality of individual terahertz radiation beams being collected and redirected successively by said individual beam shaping elements and said collective beam shaper, said terahertz radiation emitting elements and/or said control signals being configured so that said individual terahertz radiation beams are incoherent with respect to one another.

Terahertz illumination source for terahertz imaging

Method and system for emitting optical pulses in view of a desired output energy of the optical pulses and a variable external trigger signal, using a laser system having a seed laser oscillator optically coupled to one or more cascaded optical amplification stages. For each amplification stage, a plurality of sets of pump pulse parameters are provided, each associated with specific values of the output energy and the trigger period. Proper pumping parameters associated with the received desired value of the output energy and the trigger period of the received trigger signal are selected for each amplification stage, which is pumped accordingly before a seed optical pulse is launched through the system.

System and method for emitting optical pulses in view of a variable external trigger signal

A digital pulse shaping module provides a digital waveform such as a pulse shape, gating or a synchronizing digital signal for use with a pulsed laser oscillator. The digital pulse shaping module includes a waveform data generator that generates N-bit words having a number N of bits. A serializer is further provided to receive the N-bit words from the waveform data generator and outputs each bit individually in a series of bits corresponding to the digital waveform. The digital pulse shaping module further includes a delay module that provides a fine delay in the outputting of the bits by the serializer. This fine delay corresponds to a number of bits smaller than N, impacting on the timing of the outputted signal at the bit level. A pulse shaping generator has a plurality of digital pulse shaping modules.

Pulse shaping module and generator for use with a pulsed laser oscillator

A circuit assembly controlling an optical system to generate optical pulses is provided. The optical system includes a seed light source optically coupled to an amplitude modulator. The circuit assembly includes a control circuit which generates a pulsed seed drive signal for driving the seed laser source, as well as logic signals defining successions of ON and OFF states and having a predetermined relative timing relationship. One or more of the logic signals is delayed by a corresponding programmable delay line to adjust the relative timing relationship between the logic signals. A logic gating module combines the logic signals according to one or more logical rule, thereby providing a modulator drive signal. Using this circuit assembly, the optical system outputs an optical pulse at each ON state of the modulator drive signal synchronized with the passage of one of the seed optical pulses through the amplitude modulator.

Circuit assembly for controlling an optical system to generate optical pulses and pulse bursts

A digital pulse shaping module for controlling a pulsed laser oscillator according to a digital input waveform is provided. The pulse shaping module includes a clock generator generating a plurality of phase-related clock signals and a shape generator which outputs a digital shape signal corresponding to the digital input waveform in Double Data Rate in response to the clock signals. A DAC converts the digital shape into an analog shape signal. The analog shape signal may be used to control the current source of a laser seed source or modulators in the laser oscillator shaping a seed light signal. Optionally, the pulse shaping module may also output a gate control signal having a predetermined timing relationship with respect to the digital shape signal.

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Québec, Canada

Michel Jacob