Patent ID: 7978742

Claim:
A method for operating a diode laser, wherein the diode laser comprises a wavelength selection section, a gain section and a saturable absorber, the method comprising: applying a hybrid-control signal comprising a hybrid-control DC bias to the saturable absorber; and applying a hybrid-driving signal comprising a hybrid-driving DC bias and a hybrid-driving AC bias to the gain section, wherein the hybrid signals are selected and the diode laser is configured such that: a relatively high hybrid-control DC bias corresponds to a relatively low average of the output power of the diode laser; a relatively low hybrid-control DC bias corresponds to a relatively high average of the output power of the diode laser; the hybrid-driving DC bias is between a switch-on threshold of the diode laser and a switch-off threshold of the diode laser; the hybrid-driving AC bias is periodic; and the hybrid-driving AC bias has a peak-to-peak amplitude greater than the difference between the switch-on threshold and the switch-off threshold.