The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 17, 2019
Filed:
Nov. 30, 2016
Spi Lasers Uk Limited, Hedge End, GB;
Philip Michael Gorman, Malvern, GB;
Christophe Andre Codemard, Eastleigh, GB;
SPI Lasers UK Limited, Hedge End, GB;
Abstract
Apparatus for providing optical radiation (), which apparatus comprises a laser diode (), a pulse generator (), and a modulator (), wherein: the pulse generator () is configured to emit picosecond pulses; the modulator () is configured to emit nanosecond pulses; the laser diode () has a first terminal () and a second terminal (); the pulse generator () is connected to the first terminal (); and the modulator () is configured to bias the laser diode () below a lasing threshold () of the laser diode (), and the apparatus being characterized in that: the modulator () is connected to the second terminal (); the pulse generator () comprises a semiconductor junction () connected to a differentiator (); the semiconductor junction () is such that electric current flowing through the semiconductor junction () can be turned off more quickly than it can be turned on; and the differentiator () is such that a step change that occurs when the electric current flowing through the semiconductor junction () is turned off is converted to an electrical pulse, thereby gain switching the laser diode () such that it emits an optical pulse () having an optical pulse width () less than 10 ns.