Patent ID: 8670129
Filing Date: 2014-03-11
Classification: G01B,G01J,G01N,G02B

Abstract:
1. A wavelength swept optical source, comprising: an amplified spontaneous emission source for generating broadband light; a tunable Fabry Perot filter for spectrally filtering the broadband light from the amplified spontaneous emission source to generate a tunable signal; a polarization beam splitter for transmitting the broadband light to the tunable Fabry Perot filter from the amplified spontaneous emission source; a polarization rotation system downstream of the polarization beam splitter for rotating the polarization; a semiconductor optical amplifier for amplifying the tunable signal with the amplified tunable signal being transmitted back through the tunable Fabry-Perot filter for a double pass arrangement to yield a self-tracking configuration and then through the polarization beam splitter, which provides the amplified tunable signal as an output signal and avoids coupling of the amplified tunable signal to the source or back through the semiconductor amplifier to avoid creation of a resonant cavity.