Tunable high frequency modulated light beam
AssigneeApplied Energetics, Inc.
InventorsStephen William McCahon, Alan Kost
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tunable, modulated high-frequency light beam from a single source of coherent light. An ultra-short pulse of coherent light, having an optical spectrum, is derived from a single source. Spreading the optical spectrum of the ultra-short pulse of coherent light forms a spectrally spread optical pulse which is thereafter split into two or more spectrally spread optical pulses. At least one of the two or more spectrally spread optical pulses is delayed, such that, upon recombining the two or more spectrally spread optical pulses a tunable, modulated spectrally spread optical pulse is formed.
Claims22
A method for light modulation, comprising:
- generating an ultra-short pulse of coherent light, using a mode-locked laser, wherein the ultra-short pulse of coherent light includes an optical spectrum;
- spreading the optical spectrum of the ultra-short pulse of coherent light forming a spectrally spread optical pulse;
- splitting the spectrally spread optical pulse into two or more spectrally spread optical pulses;
- dynamically delaying at least one of the two or more spectrally spread optical pulses using a variable optical delay module comprising an electronically controllable delay line forming a delay, wherein the delay is varied in real time to tune a modulation beat frequency of a recombined optical pulse within a megahertz to gigahertz range;
- and
- recombining the two or more spectrally spread optical pulses forming a modulated spectrally spread optical pulse having a tunable beat frequency envelope wherein a dispersion module is configured to control phase alignment among the recombined optical pulses to produce a predetermined modulation envelope.
A system for light modulation, the system comprising:
- a mode-locked laser light source configured to generate an ultra-short pulse of coherent light wherein the ultra-short pulse of coherent light includes an optical spectrum;
- a dispersion module optically coupled to the light source and configured to spread the optical spectrum of the ultra-short pulse of coherent light forming a spectrally spread optical pulse;
- an optical splitter configured to split the spectrally spread optical pulse into two or more spectrally spread optical pulses;
- a variable optical delay module comprising a controllable delay line configured to selectively delay at least one of the two or more spectrally spread optical pulses relative to another
- a controller operatively coupled to the variable optical delay module to dynamically vary the delay in real time, thereby tuning a modulation beat frequency of the spectrally spread optical pulses within a megahertz to gigahertz range;
- and
- an optical combiner configured to recombine the two or more spectrally spread optical pulses forming a modulated optical beam exhibiting simultaneous temporal and spectral modulation and a tunable beat frequency envelope, wherein the dispersion module is further configured to adjust phase alignment among the recombined optical pulses to produce a predetermined modulation envelope.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.