Inexpensive terahertz pulse wave generator
AssigneeAlcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
InventorLothar Benedict Erhard Josef Moeller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Pulses of signals in the terahertz region are generated using an apparatus made up of a mode-locked semiconductor laser diode with a short duty cycle that is optically coupled to a biased Auston switch. The output from the mode-locked semiconductor laser diode may first be supplied to a pulse compressor, and the resulting compressed pulses supplied to the Auston switch. Preferably, the mode-locking of the semiconductor laser diode is controllable, i.e., it is an active mode-locking semiconductor laser, so that the phase of the output optical signal from the laser is locked to the phase of an input control signal.
Claims32
Apparatus for generating pulses of electromagnetic signals in the terahertz region, comprising:
- a first mode-locked semiconductor laser diode for supplying pulses of light;
- a first Auston switch optically coupled to said first laser diode, said first Auston switch being biased so that when said pulses of light from said laser diode are incident on said Auston switch corresponding electromagnetic pulses are generated in the terahertz region.
A method for generating pulses of signals in the terahertz region, the method comprising the steps of:
- supplying pulses of light from a first mode-locked semiconductor laser diode;
- and
- generating, in a biased Auston switch electromagnetic pulses in the terahertz region, each of said electromagnetic pulses in the terahertz region switch being generated in response to a corresponding one of said pulses of light.
Apparatus for generating pulses of signals in the terahertz region, comprising:
- a first mode-locked semiconductor laser diode supplying first pulses of light;
- and
- means for generating electromagnetic pulses in the terahertz region, each of said electromagnetic pulses in the terahertz region switch being generated in response to a corresponding one of said pulses of light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.