Apparatus for providing optical radiation

Apparatus for providing optical radiation, which apparatus comprises:

• a first seed source for providing first seeding radiation;
• a second seed source for providing second seeding radiation;
• the first and second seed sources being superluminescent diodes;
• a coupler connected to the first seed source and the second seed source for coupling the first seeding radiation and the second seeding radiation together;
• at least one amplifier for amplifying the first seeding radiation and the second seeding radiation;
• a controller for controlling the first seed source, the second seed source, and the amplifier,
• the first seeding radiation is characterized by a first wavelength, the second seeding radiation is characterized by a second wavelength, and the first wavelength is the same as the second wavelength;
• and
• the controller controls the first seed source, the second seed source and the amplifier to amplify the first seeding radiation and the second seeding radiation with the amplifier such that a peak power of the first seeding radiation is greater than a threshold peak power that results in stimulated Brillouin scattering of sufficient intensity to damage the apparatus when there is no second seeding radiation emitted by the second seed source and to prevent a peak power of the second seeding radiation reducing to a level at which the apparatus exceeds a damage threshold of the apparatus, whereby the apparatus is operable to provide the optical radiation with a peak power that is greater than when there is no second seed source.