Patent ID: 7813046

Claim:
An optical system for producing a stabilized broadband light output to a sensor, comprising: a broadband light source for producing broadband light signals; a splitter dividing the light signals into first and second portions along first and second output pathways, respectively; a controller module having a sweeping tunable filter coupled to the first output pathway of the splitter to receive the first portion of the light signals prior to outputting respective filtered light portions to a comb filter and a wavelength reference element, wherein control circuitry is configured to evaluate detected signals from the comb filter and the reference element to generate a control signal output; and a wavelength dependent variable attenuator coupled to the second output pathway of the splitter and the control circuitry to receive the second portion of the light signals and the control signal output, wherein the attenuator is configured to modify the second portion of the light signals based on the control signal output, thereby providing the stabilized broadband light output.