Patent ID: 8085822

Claim:
A tunable laser cavity for selectively emitting laser light having a first wavelength and a second wavelength using pump light emitted by a pump light source, said tunable laser cavity comprising: an optical resonator, said optical resonator including a reflector, said reflector including a reflector first portion and a reflector second portion for reflecting respectively said laser light having said first and second wavelengths, said reflector first and second portions being substantially transparent respectively at said second and first wavelengths, said reflector first and second portions being spatially spaced apart from each other such that a first round-trip time of said laser light having said first wavelength in said optical resonator differs from a second round-trip time of said laser light having said second wavelength in said optical resonator; a gain medium inserted in said optical resonator, said gain medium being responsive to said pump light for converting said pump light to said laser light; a pump light input port optically coupled to said gain medium for receiving said pump light and conveying said pump light to said gain medium; an optical intensity modulator inserted in said optical resonator for absorbing a portion of said laser light as said laser light propagates in said optical resonator, said optical intensity modulator having a light absorption coefficient that is modulated with a modulation period, said modulation period being selectively adjustable between a first modulation period value and a second modulation period value, said first and second round-trip times being substantially equal to a respective integer multiple of respectively said first and second modulation period values; and an output port for releasing said laser light from said optical resonator; whereby, when said gain medium is pumped with said pump light, modulating said optical intensity modulator at said first modulation period value produces laser light having said first wavelength and modulating said optical intensity modulator at said second modulation period value produces laser light having said second wavelength.