Spectrum and power tunable ASE light source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11309678-B2
Application number	US-201916596797-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2019
Priority date	Oct 9, 2019
Publication date	Apr 19, 2022
Grant date	Apr 19, 2022

Abstract

An amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) light source and a method for using the ASE light source are provided. The ASE light source may include a seed stage light source for providing a light beam to be amplified. The apparatus may include a tunable element coupled to the seed stage light source configured for filtering a portion of the light beam from the seed stage light source. The apparatus may include a loopback circuit coupled to the tunable element, the loopback circuit comprising a booster stage element for amplifying light from the tunable element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) light source comprising:
a seed stage light source for providing a light beam to be amplified;
a tunable element coupled to the seed stage light source configured for filtering a portion of the light beam and outputting a filtered light beam; and
a loopback circuit coupled to the tunable element, and including (i) a booster stage element for amplifying the filtered light beam, (ii) a filter, coupled to an output of the booster stage element, that routes (a) a first part of the filtered light beam to the loopback circuit and (b) a second part of the filtered beam to an element external to the loopback circuit.

2. The amplified spontaneous emission light source of claim 1 , further comprising:
a splitter element;
a pump energy source coupled to the seed stage light source and the booster stage element via the splitter element, which directs a first portion of an output of the pump energy source to the seed stage light source and a second portion of the output to the booster stage element.

3. The amplified spontaneous emission light source of claim 1 , the loopback circuit further including a variable attenuator for modifying the light within the loopback circuit.

4. The amplified spontaneous emission light source of claim 1 , the loopback circuit further including a tap coupler disposed between the tunable element and the booster stage element, and being configured to combine the filtered light from the tunable element and light from the loopback circuit.

5. The amplified spontaneous emission light source of claim 3 , wherein the loopback circuit includes a second filter and is disposed between the tunable element and the booster stage element, the second filter being configured to block at least a portion of the light from the tunable element.

6. The amplified spontaneous emission light source of claim 1 , wherein light within the loopback circuit comprises a clockwise mode and a counterclockwise mode.

7. The amplified spontaneous emission light source of claim 1 , the tunable element including a wavelength selective switch (WSS).

8. The amplified spontaneous emission light source of claim 7 , wherein the tunable element is configured to filter for user-defined wavelengths.

9. The amplified spontaneous emission light source of claim 1 , wherein the seed stage light source is configured to produce full spectrum light output.

10. The amplified spontaneous emission light source of claim 1 , further comprising a reflecting element coupled to the seed stage light source for reflecting the light beam toward the tunable element.

11. The amplified spontaneous emission light source of claim 2 , the output being in the form of one of light and an electric current.

12. The amplified spontaneous emission light source of claim 2 , wherein the pump energy source is configured to operate at a constant current input.

13. The amplified spontaneous emission light source of claim 2 , wherein the splitter element is configured to direct more than half of the output to the booster stage element.

14. The amplified spontaneous emission light source of claim 4 , the tap coupler being configured to pass a greater portion of signal power from the tunable element than from the loopback circuit.

15. The amplified spontaneous emission light source of claim 1 , wherein the seed stage light source is based in part on spontaneous emissions of light.

16. A method for generating light output at an amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) light source, the method comprising:
generating a seed stage light beam using a medium configured for providing a light beam to be amplified;
filtering the seed stage light beam, at a tunable element configured to filter at least a portion of the seed stage light beam, to yield a filtered light beam;
generating an amplified light beam by amplifying the filtered light beam at a loopback circuit that comprises a booster stage element;
routing a first part of the amplified light beam to the loopback circuit; and
routing a second part of the amplified light beam to an element external to the loopback circuit.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising pumping energy to the seed stage and the booster stage element from a single pump source via a splitter coupled to the seed stage and the booster stage.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising combining the filtered light beam and light from the loopback circuit at a tap coupler for amplification by the booster stage element.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising
routing light in a clockwise direction around the loopback circuit, wherein the light is routed at a splitter disposed between the tunable element and booster stage element.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising routing light in a counterclockwise direction around the loopback circuit, wherein the light is routed at a splitter coupled to the output of the booster stage element.

21. The amplified spontaneous emission light source of claim 1 , the tunable element including a wavelength blocker.

Assignees

• Molex Llc

Inventors

• Huang Bichang
• Gong Lifu
• Yang Jun

Classifications

• H01S3/06758

  Tandem amplifiers · CPC title

• H01S3/10092

  Coherent seed, e.g. injection locking · CPC title

• H01S3/06795 Primary

  with superfluorescent emission, e.g. amplified spontaneous emission sources for fibre laser gyrometers (fibre laser gyrometers per se G01C19/72) · CPC title

• H01S3/094061

  Shared pump, i.e. pump light of a single pump source is used to pump plural gain media in parallel · CPC title

• H01S3/06754 Primary

  Fibre amplifiers (H01S3/06708 takes precedence) · CPC title