Optical pulse-generator and optical pulse-generating method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9570879-B2
Application number	US-201314384550-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Mar 14, 2012
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

Provided is an optical pulse-generator and an optical pulse-generating method which are capable of generating an optical pulse train with an arbitrary pattern. An optical pulse-generator 1 includes a first optical modulator 21 configured to modulate input light using a first modulation signal SIG 1 to generate optical pulses, a second optical modulator 41 configured to perform a modulation operation using a second modulation signal SIG 2 synchronizing with the first modulation signal SIG 1 and having a signal pattern that is set to output only specific part of the optical pulses, and a dispersion compensator 30 configured to compensate a chirp of the optical pulse output from the first optical modulator 21.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optical pulse-generator comprising:
a first optical modulator configured to modulate input light using a first modulation signal to generate optical pulses;
a second optical modulator configured to perform a modulation operation using a second modulation signal synchronizing with the first modulation signal and having a signal pattern that is set to output only specific part of the optical pulses;
a dispersion compensator configured to compensate a chirp of the optical pulse output from the first optical modulator; and
an optical pulse compressor configured to perform a soliton compression to an optical pulse output from a follower one of the second optical modulator and the dispersion compensator in an optical transmission direction.

2. The optical pulse-generator according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first optical modulator and the second optical modulator is a lithium niobate modulator.

3. The optical pulse-generator according to claim 2 , wherein both of the first optical modulator and the second optical modulator are lithium niobate modulators.

4. The optical pulse-generator according to claim 3 , wherein the dispersion compensator is disposed behind the first optical modulator and ahead of the second optical modulator.

5. The optical pulse-generator according to claim 3 , wherein the dispersion compensator is disposed behind the first optical modulator and behind the second optical modulator.

6. The optical pulse-generator according to claim 2 , wherein the dispersion compensator is disposed behind the first optical modulator and ahead of the second optical modulator.

7. The optical pulse-generator according to claim 2 , wherein the dispersion compensator is disposed behind the first optical modulator and behind the second optical modulator.

8. The optical pulse-generator according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a phase adjuster configured to perform the timing synchronization between the first optical modulator and the second optical modulator.

9. The optical pulse-generator according to claim 1 , wherein the dispersion compensator is disposed behind the first optical modulator and ahead of the second optical modulator.

10. The optical pulse-generator according to claim 1 , wherein the dispersion compensator is disposed behind the first optical modulator and behind the second optical modulator.

11. An optical pulse-generator comprising,
a first optical modulator configured to modulate input light using a first modulation signal to generate optical pulses;
a second optical modulator configured to perform a modulation operation using a second modulation signal synchronizing with the first modulation signal and having a signal pattern that is set to output only specific part of the optical pulses;
a dispersion compensator configured to compensate a chirp of the optical pulse output from the first optical modulator; and
a phase adjuster configured to perform the timing synchronization between the first optical modulator and the second optical modulator,
wherein the phase adjuster is included in a path of the first modulation signal to be applied to the first optical modulator, and the phase adjuster is not included in a path of the second modulation signal to be applied to the second optical modulator.

12. An optical pulse-generating method comprising:
an optical pulse generation step of modulating input light using a first modulation signal to generate optical pulses;
a modulation operation step of performing a modulation using a second modulation signal synchronizing with the first modulation signal and having a signal pattern that is set to output only specific part of the optical pulses; and
a chirp compensation step of compensating a chirp of the optical pulse output from the optical pulse generation step; and
a phase adjustment step of performing phase adjustment for performing a timing synchronization between the optical pulse generation step and the modulation operation step,
wherein the phase adjustment step is performed in a path of the first modulation signal, and the phase adjustment step is not performed in a path of the second modulation signal.

13. The optical pulse-generating method according to claim 12 , wherein at least one of the optical pulse generation step and the modulation operation step is performed using a lithium niobate modulator.

14. The optical pulse-generating method according to claim 12 , wherein both of the optical pulse generation step and the modulation operation step are performed using a lithium niobate modulator.

Assignees

• Sumitomo Osaka Cement Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hara Tokutaka
• Hosokawa Youichi

Classifications

• H01S3/10015

  by monitoring or controlling, e.g. attenuating, the input signal · CPC title

• G02F2203/56

  Frequency comb synthesizer · CPC title

• G01J3/0205

  Optical elements not provided otherwise, e.g. optical manifolds, diffusers, windows · CPC title

• H01S3/0085

  Modulating the output, i.e. the laser beam is modulated outside the laser cavity · CPC title

• G01N21/3581

  using far infrared light; using Terahertz radiation · CPC title