Patent ID: 7711272

Claim:
An optical apparatus comprising: a laser; a RF detector adapted to receive a fraction of a RF electrical input signal and to provide a corresponding detected RF signal level; a laser power control circuit operatively coupled to the RF detector and to the laser and arranged to (i) vary a laser power DC set point substantially linearly with respect to the detected RF signal level over a first selected range of the detected RF signal level and (ii) decrease the laser power DC set point to a laser power idle level over a second selected range of the detected RF signal level, wherein the second selected range is lower in detected RF signal level than the first selected range and the laser power idle level is less than the linearly varied laser power DC set point; and a laser modulator operatively coupled to the laser and adapted to receive a fraction of the RF electrical input signal and to modulate therewith laser output power about the laser power DC set point.