Semiconductor laser device and apparatus using non-linear optical effect
AssigneeTohoku University
InventorHiroyuki Yokoyama
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Provided is a semiconductor laser device which can generate an ultra-short pulse light. A semiconductor laser device disclosed herein includes a semiconductor laser unit that performs a gain-switching operation using a relaxation oscillation mechanism to generate a first pulse and a following component of the first pulse, and a filter that processes an output from the semiconductor laser unit by removing a signal in a wavelength bandwidth generated due to at least the following portion in a wavelength bandwidth broadened by chirping. The filter is configured as a short pass filter which passes a short-wavelength component. Further, an apparatus using non-linear optical effect which uses the semiconductor laser device is also provided.
Claims16
A semiconductor laser device comprising:
- a semiconductor laser unit that performs a gain-switching operation using a relaxation oscillation mechanism to generate an optical pulse signal which includes a first pulse and a second component subsequent to the first pulse in a time domain;
- a short pass filter that is an edge filter, is provided on an output side of the semiconductor laser unit, and processes an output signal from the semiconductor laser unit to obtain an ultra-short pulse, the short pass filter having a filter characteristic to remove a long-wavelength side component in a wavelength domain, which is broadened by chirping and corresponds to a portion including the second component and a part of the first pulse adjacent to the second component in the time domain, and a long-wavelength side of a skirt portion in a short-wavelength side component, so as to pass a short-wavelength side component that corresponds to a rising portion of the first pulse in the time domain;
- and
- an optical amplifier that is provided on either one or both of input and output sides of the filter.
An apparatus using non-linear optical effect comprising:
- a semiconductor laser device that includes
- a semiconductor laser unit that performs a gain-switching operation using a relaxation oscillation mechanism to generate an optical pulse signal which includes a first pulse and a second component subsequent to the first pulse in a time domain;
- a short pass filter that is an edge filter, is provided on an output side of the semiconductor laser unit, and processes an output from the semiconductor laser unit to obtain an ultra-short pulse, the short pass filter having a filter characteristic to remove a long-wavelength side component in a wavelength domain, which is broadened by chirping and corresponds to a portion including the second component and a part of the first pulse adjacent to the second component in the time domain, and a long-wavelength side of a skirt portion in a short-wavelength side component, so as to pass a short-wavelength side component that corresponds to a rising portion of the first pulse in the time domain;
- an optical amplifier that is provided on either one or both of input and output sides of the filter, and
- an apparatus part that includes the semiconductor laser device as a light source, and uses non-linear optical effect by an optical signal from the light source.
A method of obtaining an ultra-short pulse comprising:
- generating an optical pulse signal which includes a first pulse and a second component subsequent to the first pulse in a time domain, by a semiconductor laser unit that performs a gain-switching operation using a relaxation oscillation mechanism;
- and
- obtaining an ultra-short pulse with a short pass filter that is an edge filter provided on an output side of the semiconductor laser unit and that processes an output signal from the semiconductor laser unit, wherein the obtaining the ultra short pulse includes providing the short pass filter with a filter characteristic to remove a long-wavelength side component in a wavelength domain, which is broadened by chirping and corresponds to a portion including the second component and a part of the first pulse adjacent to the second component in the time domain, and a long-wavelength side of a skirt portion in a short-wavelength side component, so as to pass a short-wavelength side component that corresponds to a rising portion of the first pulse in the time domain;
- and
- providing an optical amplifier on either one or both of input and output sides of the filter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.