Patent ID: 7165851

Claim:
A linear opto-frequency chirp amount variable apparatus, characterized in that it comprises a pair of dielectric multilayer film mirrors arranged so that their mirror surfaces extend parallel, and are opposed, to each other, and a movable mirror which is disposed in a space defined between the two dielectric multilayer film mirrors and which is inclined at a given inclination and movable in a given movable direction, wherein said given inclination of the movable mirror is an inclination such that an incident light that is incident obliquely from one end of the space defined between the two dielectric multilayer film mirrors and is then allowed to reflect on and between them a plurality of times and is reflected by the movable mirror into a direction parallel to said dielectric multilayer film mirror surfaces in an incidence plane defined by said incident light and a plane-normal of said dielectric multilayer film mirror and towards said one end, and said given movable direction is a direction that is parallel to said dielectric multilayer film mirror surfaces and extends in said incidence plane, whereby moving said movable mirror forwards and backwards in said movable direction changes the amount of a chirp to be imparted to said incident light as an input light.