Light source apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12523596-B2
Application number	US-202318300219-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2023
Priority date	Apr 15, 2022
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

A light source apparatus generates wavelength scanning light. A pulsed light source generates pulsed light including a continuous spectrum. An optical divider spatially divides the broadband pulsed light L into a plurality of n (n≥2) beams according to wavelengths. A plurality of n fibers give different delays to the n beams. The coupler multiplexes n beams output from the n fibers. In the light source apparatus, at least a part from an incident end of the optical divider to emission ends of the n fibers has a continuous waveguide structure. A light monitoring device extracts and measures part of light propagating through the continuous waveguide structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A light measurement device comprising:
a light source apparatus structured to generate wavelength scanning light to be irradiated onto an object; and a light receiving device structured to measure object light obtained by irradiating the object with the wavelength scanning light, wherein the light source apparatus comprises: a pulsed light source structured to generate pulsed light including a continuous spectrum; an optical divider structured to spatially divide the pulsed light into n portions of light (n≥2) according to wavelengths; a plurality of n fibers structured to provide different delays to the n portions of light; and a coupler structured to combine the n portions of light output from the n fibers, wherein the light output from the coupler is irradiated onto the object as the wavelength scanning light, at least a portion from an incident end of the optical divider to an emission ends of the n fibers is formed of a continuous waveguide structure, and wherein the light source apparatus further comprises a light monitoring device structured to extract and measure part of light propagating through the continuous waveguide structure.

2 . The light measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein the light source apparatus further comprises m optical couplers disposed along m different fibers selected from the n fibers, where 1≤m≤n,
each of the m optical couplers being configured to extract a portion of light propagating through the respective fiber, and
wherein the light monitoring device is configured to measure m portions of light extracted by the m optical couplers.

3 . The light measurement device according to claim 2 , wherein m satisfies m≥2.

4 . The light measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical divider includes: an incident side fiber having an incident end on which the pulsed light is incident; and a first arrayed waveguide grating including an input waveguide connected to an output end of the incident side fiber, and n output waveguides, the first arrayed waveguide grating being structured to divide light propagating through the input waveguide into the n output waveguides according to wavelengths, the light source apparatus further comprises an optical coupler provided to the incident side fiber and structured to extract part of the pulsed light propagating through the incident side fiber, and the light monitoring device measures the light extracted from the incident side fiber by the optical coupler.

5 . The light measurement device according to claim 4 , wherein the light monitoring device includes a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) coupler structured to divide the light extracted from the incident side fiber by the optical coupler into m (m≥2) portions of light according to wavelengths, and measures each of the m portions of light divided by the WDM coupler.

6 . The light measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein
the coupler includes: a second arrayed waveguide grating including n input waveguides connected to the n fibers, and an output waveguide, the second arrayed waveguide grating being structured to multiplex the n portions of light propagating through the n input waveguides and output the multiplexed light to the output waveguide; and an emission side fiber having an incident end connected to the output waveguide of the second arrayed waveguide grating, the light source apparatus further comprises an optical coupler provided to the emission side fiber and structured to extract part of the light propagating through the emission side fiber, and the light monitoring device measures the light extracted from the emission side fiber by the optical coupler.

7 . The light measurement device according to claim 6 , wherein
the light monitoring device includes a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) coupler structured to divide the light extracted from the emission side fiber by the optical coupler into m (m≥2) portions of light according to wavelengths, and the light monitoring device measures each of the m portions of light divided by the WDM coupler.

8 . The light measurement device according to claim 6 , wherein the light monitoring device measures a time waveform of the light extracted from the emission side fiber by the optical coupler.

9 . The light measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical divider includes a first arrayed waveguide grating including an input waveguide structured to receive the pulsed light, and n output waveguides, the first arrayed waveguide grating being structured to divide light propagating through the input waveguide into the n output waveguides according to wavelengths, the light source apparatus further comprises a waveguide demultiplexer formed on a same planar lightwave circuit (PLC) as the first arrayed waveguide grating, the waveguide demultiplexer being structured to extract part of light propagating through the input waveguide of the first arrayed waveguide grating, and the light monitoring device monitors light extracted by the waveguide demultiplexer.

10 . The light measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical divider includes a first arrayed waveguide grating including an input waveguide structured to receive the pulsed light, and n output waveguides, the first arrayed waveguide grating being structured to split light propagating through the input waveguide into the n output waveguides according to wavelengths, the light source apparatus further comprises m waveguide demultiplexers formed on a same planar lightwave circuit (PLC) as the first arrayed waveguide grating and corresponding to m (1≤m≤n) output waveguides out of the n output waveguides of the first arrayed waveguide grating, each of the waveguide demultiplexers is structured to extract part of light propagating through the corresponding output waveguide, and the light monitoring device is structured to monitor m portions of light extracted by the m waveguide demultiplexers.

11 . The light measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein
the coupler includes a second arrayed waveguide grating including n input waveguides connected to the n fibers, and an output waveguide, the second arrayed waveguide grating being structured to multiplex the n portions of light propagating through the n input waveguides and output the multiplexed light to the output waveguide, the light source apparatus further comprises m waveguide demultiplexers formed on a same planar lightwave circuit (PLC) as the second arrayed waveguide grating and corresponding to m (1≤ m≤n) input waveguides out of the n input waveguides of the second arrayed waveguide grating, each of the waveguide demultiplexers is structured to extract part of light propagating through the corresponding input waveguide, and the light monitoring device is structured to monitor m portions of light extracted by the m waveguide demultiplexers.

12 . The light measurement device according to claim 10 , wherein m satisfies m≥2.

13 . The light measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein
the coupler includes a second arrayed waveguide grating including n input waveguides connected to the n fibers, and an output waveguide, the second arrayed waveguide grating being structured to multiplex the n portions of light propagating through the n input waveguides and output the multiplexed light to the output waveguide, the light source apparatus further comprises a waveguide demultiplexer formed on a same planar lightwave circuit (PLC) as the second arrayed waveguide grating and structured to extract part of light propagating through the ou

Assignees

• Ushio Electric Inc

Inventors

• Yokoyama Takuma
• Ota Aya

Classifications

• G02B6/29301

  based on a phased array of light guides (integrated arrayed waveguide gratings G02B6/12009) · CPC title

• G01N2201/0696

  Pulsed · CPC title

• G02B6/4286

  Optical modules with optical power monitoring · CPC title

• G01N2201/0826

  Fibre array at source, distributing · CPC title

• G02B6/4215

  the intermediate optical elements being wavelength selective optical elements, e.g. variable wavelength optical modules or wavelength lockers (G02B6/4246 takes precedence) · CPC title