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:
Mar. 10, 2009
Filed:
Dec. 08, 2005
Martin H HU, Painted Post, NY (US);
Nobuhiko Nishiyama, Painted Post, NY (US);
Chung-en Zah, Holmdel, NJ (US);
Martin H Hu, Painted Post, NY (US);
Nobuhiko Nishiyama, Painted Post, NY (US);
Chung-En Zah, Holmdel, NJ (US);
Corning Incorporated, Corning, NY (US);
Abstract
Both a system and method are provided for modulating the intensity of an output beam generated by semiconductor laser. The exemplary system includes a source of pulsating current connected to the laser that generates a pulsating beam of laser light, an external modulator having an input that receives the pulsating beam, and an output controlled by pulsating control signal, wherein the output beam transmitted by the external modulator output is modulated by changing a relative phase angle between the pulsating current powering the laser, and the control signal of the external modulator over time. The external modulator may be an intensity-type modulator whose output is controlled by a gate signal having a constant phase, and the source of pulsating current powering the laser may be variable phase in order to modulate the output beam with an external modulator having a simple structure. Both the system and method are advantageously compatible with DFB lasers, and avoid wavelength drift and the consequent thermally induced patterning effect by powering the laser with a pulsating current having a constant duty cycle.