Toptica Photonics Ag

Nico Vieweg

Thomas A Puppe

Christian Rausch

Armin Zach

Alexander Sell

Andreas Brodschelm

The invention relates to a device for generating temporally spaced light pulses. Said device comprises a first light source which emits a first train of light pulses, a second light source which emits a second train of light pulses, and a phase-locked loop which regulates the relative phase of the light-pulse trains towards a target value. When the two light-pulse trains each pass through an optical transmission path to an application site that is spatially remote from the light sources, fluctuating phase differences in the light-pulse trains at the application site occur due to external influences along the transmission paths. The object of the invention is to provide an improved device for generating temporally spaced light pulses. In particular, the above-mentioned fluctuating phase differences are intended to be prevented. To do this, the invention proposes a detection apparatus that interacts with the phase-locked loop and detects a phase difference in the light-pulse trains at the application site caused by propagation-time differences along the transmission paths. In particular, the phase difference in the light-pulse trains at the application site is derived from light pulses that are reflected from the application site and pass through the transmission paths in the return direction. The detected phase difference can then be compensated for by the existing regulation of the relative phase of the light-pulse trains. In addition, the invention relates to a method for generating temporally spaced light pulses.

Optical scanning

The invention relates to an apparatus for generating temporally spaced apart light pulses, comprising

A device for generating temporally distant light pulses is provided, the device including at least a first light source for generating a first sequence of light pulses at a first repetition rate, and a second light source for generating a second sequence of light pulses at a second repetition rate. In some embodiments the device includes at least one actuator element which influences the first and/or the second repetition rate, and a control element which charges the actuator element with a periodical modulation signal for periodical variation of the first and/or second repetition rate. A control circuit is also provided including at least a phase detector, a corrective element, a control element, and a superposition element that forms an actuator signal from a modulation signal and an output signal of the control element, and which charges the actuator element with the actuator signal.

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Stockdorf, Germany

Nico Vieweg