Patent ID: 7548567
Filing Date: 2009-06-16
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
1. A temperature-controlled external cavity laser system comprising: a laser cavity with an optical reflecting and filtering element that produces an optical signal with a temperature dependent distortion, said laser cavity having a transfer function with an enhanced distortion dip within a predetermined temperature range that defines a relative minimum in distortion; an oscillator that generates two radio frequency pilot signals having different frequencies and a fixed phase difference, the two radio frequency pilot signals applied to said external cavity laser, thereby producing in the optical output of said laser a distortion signal at the frequency difference of said pilot signals; in-phase and quadrature component information of the two pilot signals extracted from said distortion signal; an error signal generated from said in-phase quadrature information; and one or more temperature controllers wherein the operating temperature of said laser is changed in response to the error signal such as to cause said laser to operate in or near the temperature region of the distortion dip of said laser.