Optical arbitrary pulse pattern generator

An optical pattern generator device, comprising:

• a light source to provide primary laser pulses,
• a distributor to provide a plurality of primary optical pulses by distributing light of the primary laser pulses into a plurality of branches,
• a combiner to form an output signal by combining modulated optical signals from the branches, and
• a controller unit to provide control signals for controlling optical modulators of the branches according to a primary pattern,
• wherein a first branch comprises a first optical modulator to form a first modulated optical signal from primary optical pulses of the first branch,
• wherein a second branch comprises a second optical modulator to form a second modulated optical signal from primary optical pulses of the second branch,
• wherein a third branch comprises a third optical modulator to form a third modulated optical signal from primary optical pulses of the third branch,
• wherein a propagation delay of the second branch is different from a propagation delay of the first branch, and
• wherein a propagation delay of the third branch is different from the propagation delay of the first branch and different from the propagation delay of the second branch;
• wherein the device is configured to form an uninterrupted stream of optical return-to-zero pulses such that the time period between consecutive pulses of the uninterrupted stream is substantially constant, such that the optical pulses of the uninterrupted stream have substantially equal energy, and such that the uninterrupted stream of pulses comprises pulses of different wavelengths and/or pulses of different polarization states, and
• wherein the device is configured to form the uninterrupted stream from a first interrupted stream of pulses and from a second interrupted stream of pulses.