Patent ID: 6650673
Filing Date: 2003-11-18
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
An optical pulse source, comprising:a first single mode DFB semiconductor laser having a first grating for generating light at a first frequency; a second single mode DFB semiconductor laser having a second grating for generating light at a second frequency; the lasers having a common active medium and shared optical path, the lasers providing mutual light injection into each other resulting in generation of a beat signal at a difference frequency of two lasers; a saturable absorber disposed to receive the beat signal for providing an initial time compression of the beat signal, thus transforming the beat signal into an initial train of optical pulses; and an optical compressor disposed to receive the initial train of optical pulses and compressing the pulse duration of the signal, thus forming a train of short optical pulses having a pre-determined duration and a repetition rate.