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US 5,265,107 AGranted
Broadband absorber having multiple quantum wells of different thicknesses
AssigneeBell Communications Research, Inc.
InventorPeter J. Delfyett, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A saturable absorber comprising multiple quantum-well layers (32, 34, 36) of differing thicknesses and separated by barrier layers (38) so as to produce a wide-band absorption. Such a saturable absorber (30) is useful in a hybrid mode-locked laser having an optical cavity defined by two mirrors (10, 12) into which are placed the saturable absorber (30) and an optical amplifier (14) driven by both a DC bias and an RF modulation signal.
Claims7
A saturable absorber, comprising:
- a first plurality of semiconductor quantum-well layers having substantially different respective thicknesses the closest values of which vary by no more than approximately 8.3%;
- and
- at least one barrier layer separating said quantum-well layers.
A mode-locked laser, comprising:
- an optical cavity having first and second reflective ends;
- an optical gain medium disposed in said cavity;
- and
- a multiple quantum-well saturable absorber disposed in said cavity and comprising multiple semiconductor quantum-well layers of substantially different thicknesses, the closest values of which vary by no more than approximately 8.3% and which are separated by at least one barrier layer.
1 more element
A saturable reactor comprising
- a periodic structure of multiple pluralities of semiconductor quantum-well layers, each of said pluralities of quantum-well layers having substantially different thickness, closest values of said thicknesses of said plurality of quantum-well layers differing by no more than approximately 8.3%, and barrier layers separating said quantum-well layers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.