Patent ID: 6313941
Filing Date: 2001-11-06
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
An optical component comprising:an optical component body on an optical path for performing optical processing on inputted light and for outputting emitted light, wherein said optical component body has an optical characteristic of a prescribed type that depends on temperature;a characteristic control circuit operable to generate and output a temperature control signal; anda temperature adjustment member for adjusting the temperature of said optical component body to an adjustment temperature based on the temperature control signal out putted by said characteristic control circuit;wherein said characteristic control circuit comprisesan optical characteristic monitoring section at a prescribed position on the optical path operable to detect quality information that expresses the quality of the optical characteristic of the prescribed type of said optical component body, and for generating a detection output indicative of the detected quality information, anda characteristic control section operable to generate the temperature control signal by utilizing the detection output from said optical characteristic monitoring section,wherein said optical characteristic monitoring section comprises a construction operable to detect as the quality information the power of the light before the light has passed through said optical component body.