Universitè Laval

Teraxion Inc.

Michel Tetu

Martin Guy

Jean-François Cliche

Jean-Francedillaois Cliche

Stéphane Blin

Normand Cyr

François Baribeau

Vincent Giordano

Christine Latrasse

A narrow linewidth semiconductor laser device has a semiconductor laser and a low noise current source operatively connected to the laser with the current source being adapted to prevent degradation of the laser's frequency noise spectrum. An optical frequency discriminator provides an error signal representative of the laser's optical frequency and a control circuit has a feedback network that provides a frequency feedback signal that is adapted to the frequency noise spectrum of the frequency discriminator and to the laser's frequency noise spectrum and tuning response. The control circuit also has a sequencer to automatically enable frequency locking of the laser on the frequency reference of the optical frequency discriminator. An enclosure encloses the frequency discriminator to isolate the frequency discriminator from external perturbations. The device provides an improved sub-kHz linewidth and a high coherence while being compact, lightweight and highly reliable, as well as being automatically operated.

Narrow linewidth semiconductor laser device

Calibration of a variable frequency light source is performed by a control unit which has a knowledge of the known transmission pattern of an optical filter, such as gas cell or a calibrated interferometer, having a number of known frequency dependent transmission characteristics in the tuning range of the optical source. This unit scans the frequency of the optical source via a frequency control signal over a frequency range and measures the optical intensity of the optical source output light after it has passed through the optical filter The measured transmission and frequency control signal values are processed and stored in memory and constitute a measured absorption pattern. Once acquired for a frequency range, this pattern is compared to the theoretical transmission pattern of the optical filter. Correspondences are made to identify the transmission features against their known counterparts. A relationship between the frequency control signal and actual frequency of the optical source is established. The frequency calibration of the optical source over many frequency points is achieved. The invention is especially suited to the frequency calibration of tunable laser sources, such as semiconductor lasers and external cavity lasers.

Absolute optical frequency calibrator for a variable frequency optical

A method and apparatus for deriving information on a light beam. The light beam is processed by an optical system to produce two quasi-collinear beams propagating in opposite directions, namely pump and probe beams with orthogonal linear polarizations. The beams interact with the medium contained in a cell, which medium is capable to manifest absorption resonance. As a result of the beams interaction with the medium, the intensity of the probe beam transmitted through the medium, considered along a predetermined polarization axis, becomes representative of a particular state of absorption resonance of the medium, which resonance occurs when the frequencies of the pump and probe beams are located within a narrow absorption resonance frequency bandwidth characterizing the medium. The invention finds applications in the laser spectroscopy technology as well as in the construction of frequency stabilized laser sources, optical filters and optical communication systems, among others.

Atomic resonance in crossed linear polarization

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Cap-Rouge, Canada

Michel Tetu