Patent ID: 9413133
Filing Date: 2016-08-09
CPC Classification: G01N,H01S

Claim Text:
1. An amplified tunable laser source, comprising input tunable radiation with an input power spectrum, an input center wavelength, input wavelength range and input average power, optically coupled to an input side of a semiconductor optical amplifier comprising at least one quantum well, and output tunable radiation having an output power spectrum, an output center wavelength, an output wavelength range, and output average power, emerging from an output side of said optical amplifier, wherein said input tunable radiation is generated by a tunable laser comprising: an optical cavity including a first and second mirror; a gain region interposed between said first and second mirrors; a tuning region; and means for adjusting an optical path length of said tuning region; wherein: a free spectral range (FSR) of said optical cavity exceeds 5% of said center wavelength; said tunable laser operates substantially in a single longitudinal and transverse mode over said wavelength range; said means for adjusting an optical path length has a wavelength tuning frequency response with a 6-dB bandwidth greater than about 1 kHz; and said optical amplifier is a resonant tunable optical amplifier tuned synchronously with said input tunable radiation.