Spontaneous emission source having high spectral density at a desired wavelength
AssigneeGeneral Instrument Corporation
InventorDavid R. Huber
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A spontaneous emission source has a high spectral density at a desired wavelength. An integrated guided wave optical path is formed in either a semiconductor or silica substrate. An active medium and grating are provided within the optical path. The optical path is pumped to pass energy across the grating and active medium. The pump energy excites the active medium without lasing to output spontaneous emissions at a wavelength established by the grating. The source is particularly useful for reducing nonlinear effects in an optical fiber used for communicating AM or other information signals.
Claims16
An optical source for providing an output signal with a broad linewidth comprising:
- a laser for outputting an optical signal having a longitudinal mode;
- a spontaneous emission source for generating spontaneous emissions at or near the wavelength of said longitudinal mode, said spontaneous emission source including:
- an integrated guided wave optical path formed in a semiconductor substrate,
- a grating within said optical path,
- an active medium within said optical path, and
- means for passing optical energy across said grating and active medium within said optical path, said optical energy exciting said active medium without lasing to output spontaneous emissions from said optical path at a wavelength established by said grating;
- and
- means external of said laser for inputting spontaneous emissions output from said spontaneous emission source to said laser;
- wherein the spontaneous emissions input to said laser increase the effective linewidth of said mode.
An optical source for providing an output signal with a broad linewidth comprising:
- a laser for outputting an optical signal;
- a spontaneous emission source for generating spontaneous emissions at or near the wavelength of a longitudinal mode of said optical signal, said spontaneous emission source including:
- an integrated guided wave optical path formed in a substrate,
- a grating within said optical path,
- an active medium within said optical path, and
- means for passing optical energy across said grating and active medium within said optical path, said optical energy exciting said active medium without lasing to output spontaneous emissions from said optical path at a wavelength established by said grating;
- and
- means external of said laser for inputting spontaneous emissions output from said spontaneous emission source to said laser;
- wherein the spontaneous emissions input to said laser increase the effective linewidth of said mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.