Claims
- 1. A light source, comprising:
a gain region defined by a first and second mirror, said gain region having a corresponding response shape; an external cavity defined by a third mirror and said second mirror, said external cavity having a plurality of resonant modes; and a birefringent crystal disposed within said external cavity.
- 2. The light source of claim 1, wherein said second mirror is formed such that said response shape of said gain region selects a single one of said plurality of modes.
- 3. The light source of claim 1, wherein said second mirror is formed such that said response shape of said gain region selects at least two of said plurality of modes.
- 4. The light source of claim 1, wherein said first mirror and the gain region is fabricated for use in the wavelength range of approximately 780-790 nm.
- 5. The light source of claim 1, wherein said first mirror and the gain region is fabricated for use in the wavelength range of approximately 1300-1700 nm.
- 6. The light source of claim 1, wherein said gain region response shape has a nominal peak wavelength of approximately 1550 nm.
- 7. The light source of claim 1, wherein said external cavity is greatly extended in length compared to said gain region.
- 8. The light source of claim 1, wherein the length of said external cavity has a length of approximately 2-3 mm.
- 9. The light source of claim 1, wherein said plurality of resonant modes have a mode spacing of approximately 100 GHz.
- 10. The light source of claim 1, wherein said plurality of resonant modes have a mode spacing of approximately 50 GHz.
- 11. The light source of claim 1, wherein said external cavity is filled with air and has a length of approximately 3 mm.
- 12. The light source of claim 1, wherein said external cavity comprises glass and has a length of approximately 2 mm.
- 13. The light source of claim 1, wherein the length of said external cavity has a length of approximately 4-6 mm.
- 14. The light source of claim 1, wherein said plurality of resonant modes have a mode spacing of approximately 25 GHz.
- 15. The light source of claim 1, wherein the length of said external cavity has a length of approximately 8-12 mm.
- 16. The light source of claim 1, wherein said plurality of resonant modes have a mode spacing of approximately 12.5 GHz.
- 17. The light source of claim 1, wherein said light source is configured for use in the wavelength range of 1550 nm.
- 18. The light source of claim 17, wherein said external cavity is configured to provide mode spacing corresponding to standard DWDM channel spacings.
- 19. The light source of claim 18, wherein said external cavity provides a mode spacing of 12.5 GHz.
- 20. The light source of claim 18, wherein said external cavity provides a mode spacing of 50 GHz.
- 21. The light source of claim 18, wherein said external cavity provides a mode spacing of 100 GHz.
- 22. The light source of claim 1, wherein said third mirror is configured to reflect incident light in the 1550 nm telcom band.
- 23. The light source of claim 1, wherein said third mirror has a radius of curvature equal to the length of said external cavity.
- 24. A light source, comprising:
a gain region defined by a first and second mirror, said gain region having a corresponding response shape; an external cavity defined by a third mirror and said second mirror, said external cavity having a plurality of resonant modes; and a birefringent crystal disposed within said external cavity configured to receive a light beam from said light source and refract said light beam into two orthogonal polarization states.
- 25. The light source of claim 24, wherein said light source is configured to cause one of said polarization states to follow an optical path of low round-trip loss, and the other said polarization state to follow a path of high round-trip loss.
- 26. The light source of claim 25, wherein said second mirror is formed such that said response shape of said gain region selects a single one of said plurality of modes.
- 27. The light source of claim 25, wherein said second mirror is formed such that said response shape of said gain region selects at least two of said plurality of modes.
- 28. The light source of claim 24, wherein said first mirror and the gain region is fabricated for use in the wavelength range of approximately 780-790 nm.
- 29. The light source of claim 24, wherein said first mirror and the gain region is fabricated for use in the wavelength range of approximately 1300-1700 nm.
- 30. The light source of claim 24, wherein said gain region response shape has a nominal peak wavelength of approximately 1550 nm.
- 31. The light source of claim 24, wherein said external cavity is greatly extended in length compared to said gain region.
- 32. The light source of claim 24, wherein the length of said external cavity has a length of approximately 2-3 mm.
- 33. The light source of claim 24, wherein said plurality of resonant modes have a mode spacing of approximately 100 GHz.
- 34. The light source of claim 24, wherein said plurality of resonant modes have a mode spacing of approximately 50 GHz.
- 35. The light source of claim 24, wherein said external cavity is filled with air and has a length of approximately 3 mm.
- 36. The light source of claim 24, wherein said external cavity comprises glass and has a length of approximately 2 mm.
- 37. The light source of claim 24, wherein the length of said external cavity has a length of approximately 4-6 mm.
- 38. The light source of claim 24, wherein said plurality of resonant modes have a mode spacing of approximately 25 GHz.
- 39. The light source of claim 24, wherein the length of said external cavity has a length of approximately 8-12 mm.
- 40. The light source of claim 24, wherein said plurality of resonant modes have a mode spacing of approximately 12.5 GHz.
- 41. The light source of claim 24, wherein said light source is configured for use in the wavelength range of 1550 nm.
- 42. The light source of claim 24, wherein said external cavity is configured to provide mode spacing corresponding to standard DWDM channel spacings.
- 43. The light source of claim 42, wherein said external cavity provides a mode spacing of 12.5 GHz.
- 44. The light source of claim 42, wherein said external cavity provides a mode spacing of 50 GHz.
- 45. The light source of claim 42, wherein said external cavity provides a mode spacing of 100 GHz.
- 46. The light source of claim 24, wherein said third mirror is configured to reflect incident light in the 1550 nm telcom band.
- 47. The light source of claim 24, wherein said third mirror has a radius of curvature equal to the length of said external cavity.
- 48. A light source, comprising:
a gain region defined by a first and second mirror, said gain region having a corresponding response shape; an external cavity defined by a third mirror and said second mirror, said external cavity having a plurality of resonant modes; and a birefringent crystal disposed within said external cavity configured to receive a light beam from said light source and refract said light beam into two orthogonal polarization states, wherein said birefringent crystal is oriented such that said polarization states experience different indices of refraction.
- 49. The light source of claim 48, wherein said second mirror is formed such that said response shape of said gain region selects a single one of said plurality of modes.
- 50. The light source of claim 48, wherein said second mirror is formed such that said response shape of said gain region selects at least two of said plurality of modes.
- 51. The light source of claim 48, wherein said first mirror and the gain region is fabricated for use in the wavelength range of approximately 780-790 nm.
- 52. The light source of claim 48, wherein said first mirror and the gain region is fabricated for use in the wavelength range of approximately 1300-1700 nm.
- 53. The light source of claim 48, wherein said gain region response shape has a nominal peak wavelength of approximately 1550 nm.
- 54. The light source of claim 48, wherein said external cavity is greatly extended in length compared to said gain region.
- 55. The light source of claim 48, wherein the length of said external cavity has a length of approximately 2-3 mm.
- 56. The light source of claim 48, wherein said plurality of resonant modes have a mode spacing of approximately 100 GHz.
- 57. The light source of claim 48, wherein said plurality of resonant modes have a mode spacing of approximately 50 GHz.
- 58. The light source of claim 48, wherein said external cavity is filled with air and has a length of approximately 3 mm.
- 59. The light source of claim 48, wherein said external cavity comprises glass and has a length of approximately 2 mm.
- 60. The light source of claim 48, wherein the length of said external cavity has a length of approximately 4-6 mm.
- 61. The light source of claim 48, wherein said plurality of resonant modes have a mode spacing of approximately 25 GHz.
- 62. The light source of claim 48, wherein the length of said external cavity has a length of approximately 8-12 mm.
- 63. The light source of claim 48, wherein said plurality of resonant modes have a mode spacing of approximately 12.5 GHz.
- 64. The light source of claim 48, wherein said light source is configured for use in the wavelength range of 1550 nm.
- 65. The light source of claim 48, wherein said external cavity is configured to provide mode spacing corresponding to standard DWDM channel spacings.
- 66. The light source of claim 65, wherein said external cavity provides a mode spacing of 12.5 GHz.
- 67. The light source of claim 65, wherein said external cavity provides a mode spacing of 50 GHz.
- 68. The light source of claim 65 wherein said external cavity provides a mode spacing of 100 GHz.
- 69. The light source of claim 48, wherein said third mirror is configured to reflect incident light in the 1550 nm telcom band.
- 70. The light source of claim 48, wherein said third mirror has a radius of curvature equal to the length of said external cavity.
- 71. A light source, comprising:
a gain region defined by a first and second mirror, said gain region having a corresponding response shape; an external cavity defined by a third mirror and said second mirror, said external cavity having a plurality of resonant modes; and a birefringent crystal disposed within said external cavity configured to receive a light beam from said light source and refract said light beam into two orthogonal polarization states, said birefringent crystal epoxied to said external cavity thereby forming a crystal/epoxy junction having an predetermined optical loss.
- 72. The light source of claim 71, wherein the index of refraction of said birefringent crystal is matched with said crystal/epoxy junction optical loss such that the losses of one of said polarization states is minimized.
- 73. The light source of claim 72, wherein said second mirror is formed such that said response shape of said gain region selects a single one of said plurality of modes.
- 74. The light source of claim 72, wherein said second mirror is formed such that said response shape of said gain region selects at least two of said plurality of modes.
- 75. The light source of claim 71, wherein said first mirror and the gain region is fabricated for use in the wavelength range of approximately 780-790 nm.
- 76. The light source of claim 71, wherein said first mirror and the gain region is fabricated for use in the wavelength range of approximately 1300-1700 nm.
- 77. The light source of claim 71, wherein said gain region response shape has a nominal peak wavelength of approximately 1550 nm.
- 78. The light source of claim 71, wherein said external cavity is greatly extended in length compared to said gain region.
- 79. The light source of claim 71, wherein the length of said external cavity has a length of approximately 2-3 mm.
- 80. The light source of claim 71, wherein said plurality of resonant modes have a mode spacing of approximately 100 GHz.
- 81. The light source of claim 71, wherein said plurality of resonant modes have a mode spacing of approximately 50 GHz.
- 82. The light source of claim 71, wherein said external cavity is filled with air and has a length of approximately 3 mm.
- 83. The light source of claim 71, wherein said external cavity comprises glass and has a length of approximately 2 mm.
- 84. The light source of claim 71, wherein the length of said external cavity has a length of approximately 4-6 mm.
- 85. The light source of claim 71, wherein said plurality of resonant modes have a mode spacing of approximately 25 GHz.
- 86. The light source of claim 71, wherein the length of said external cavity has a length of approximately 8-12 mm.
- 87. The light source of claim 71, wherein said plurality of resonant modes have a mode spacing of approximately 12.5 GHz.
- 88. The light source of claim 71, wherein said light source is configured for use in the wavelength range of 1550 nm.
- 89. The light source of claim 71, wherein said external cavity is configured to provide mode spacing corresponding to standard DWDM channel spacings.
- 90. The light source of claim 89, wherein said external cavity provides a mode spacing of 12.5 GHz.
- 91. The light source of claim 89, wherein said external cavity provides a mode spacing of 50 GHz.
- 92. The light source of claim 89, wherein said external cavity provides a mode spacing of 100 GHz.
- 93. The light source of claim 71, wherein said third mirror is configured to reflect incident light in the 1550 nm telcom band.
- 94. The light source of claim 71, wherein said third mirror has a radius of curvature equal to the length of said external cavity.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/817,362, filed Mar. 20, 2001. This application also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Applications No. 60/263,060, filed Jan. 19, 2001; and No. 60/303,479, filed Jul. 6, 2001, Attorney Docket No. Siros-035P.
Provisional Applications (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60263060 |
Jan 2001 |
US |
|
60303479 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09817362 |
Mar 2001 |
US |
Child |
09919333 |
Jul 2001 |
US |