Stabilization apparatus and method for an sfs

Claim 2

A wavelength stabilization apparatus for a superfluorescent fiber source comprising: a SFS (superfluorescent source) means for producing SFS light having an SFS wavelength when pumped with pump light from a pump light source having a pump light wavelength; an output controller means responsive to a sample of SFS light for maximizing the power of said sample of SFS light by automatically adjusting said pump light wavelength, said output controller means having; a pump power controller means responsive to a sample of the pump light from said pump light source for stabilizing the output power of the sample of said pump light with respect to a predetermined reference output power level.

Claim 3

The wavelength stabilization apparatus for the superfluorescent source of claim 1 wherein said SFS (superfluorescent source) means further comprises: an SFS fiber source containing a single mode optical fiber having a core doped with at least one active laser material selected from the group of rare earth materials comprising neodymium or erbium.

Claim 4

The wavelength stabilization apparatus for the superfluorescent source of claim 1 wherein said output controller means further comprising: a pump light source temperature control means responsive to a thermal drive signal for controlling the temperature of the pump light source, and an output sense and control means for sensing the power of the sample of said SFS light and for dithering the thermal drive signal to slightly vary the temperature of the pump light source around an operating temperature, the variation in pump light source temperature resulting in a corresponding variation in pump light source wavelength, said SFS fiber source being responsive to said variation in pump light source wavelength to provide a corresponding variation in the power of the sample of the SFS light, the output sense and control means being responsive to the variation in the power of the sample of the SFS light for adjusting the thermal drive signal to adjust the operating temperature of the pump light source to maximize the power of the sample SFS light.

Claim 5

The wavelength stabilization apparatus for the superfluorescent source of claim 3 wherein said pump light source temperature control means further comprises: a thermoelectric cooler to which the pump light source is thermally coupled; and a thermistor for measuring the temperature of the pump light source and for providing a pump temperature signal corresponding to the temperature of the pump light source; said output sense and control means being further characterized to be responsive to the pump temperature signal for adjusting the thermal drive signal to adjust the operating temperature of the pump light source to maximize the power of the sample SFS light.

Claim 6

The wavelength stabilization apparatus for the superfluorescent source of claim 1 wherein said SFS (superfluorescent source) means further comprises an SFS fiber source, and said output controller means further comprising: a temperature control means responsive to a an SFS temperature control signal for controlling the temperature of the SFS fiber source to correspond with a predetermined fixed value; and a temperature control measuring means coupled to the SFS fiber source for providing said SFS temperature signal.

Claim 7

A wavelength stabilization apparatus for a superfluorescent source comprising: a SFS (superfluorescent source) means for producing SFS light having an SFS wavelength when pumped with pump light from a pump light source having a pump light wavelength, a first portion of said pump light being absorbed in pumping the SFS means and a second portion of said pump light exiting said SFS means as a residual pump ray; an output controller means responsive to the residual pump ray for maximizing the power of said sample of SFS light by automatically adjusting said pump light wavelength, said output controller means having; a pump power controller means responsive to a sample of the pump light from said pump light source for stabilizing the output power of the sample of said pump light with respect to a predetermined reference output power level.

Claim 8

A wavelength stabilization apparatus for a superfluorescent source comprising: a SFS (superfluorescent source) means for producing SFS light having an SFS wavelength when pumped with pump light from a pump light source having a pump light wavelength, a first portion of said pump light being absorbed in pumping the SFS means and a second portion of said pump light exiting said SFS means as a residual pump ray; an output controller means responsive to the residual pump ray for maximizing the power of said sample of SFS light by automatically adjusting said pump light wavelength, said output controller means having; a pump power controller means responsive to a sample of the pump light from said pump light source for stabilizing the output power of the sample of said pump light with respect to a predetermined reference output power level.

Claim 9

The wavelength stabilization apparatus for the superfluorescent source of claim 6 wherein said output controller means further comprising: a pump light source temperature control means responsive to a thermal drive signal for controlling the temperature of the pump light source, and an output residue sense and control means for sensing the power of the residual pump ray and for dithering the thermal drive signal to slightly vary the temperature of the pump light source around an operating temperature, the variation in pump light source temperature resulting in a corresponding variation in pump light source wavelength, said SFS means being responsive to said variation in pump light source wavelength to provide a corresponding variation in pump light source light absorption, the power of the residue ray varying as an inverse function to the power of the SFS light output, the output residue sense and control means being responsive to the variation in power of the residue pump ray for adjusting the thermal drive signal to adjust the operating temperature of the pump light source to minimize the power of the residue pump ray.

Claim 10

The wavelength stabilization apparatus for the superfluorescent source of claim 7 wherein said pump light source temperature control means responsive to a thermal drive signal for controlling the temperature of the pump light source further comprises: a thermoelectric cooler to which the pump light source is thermally coupled; and, a thermistor for measuring the temperature of the pump light source and for providing a pump temperature signal corresponding to the temperature of the pump light source; said output sense and control means being further characterized to be responsive to the pump temperature signal for adjusting the thermal drive signal to adjust the operating temperature of the pump light source to maximize the power of the sample SFS light.

Claim 11

The wavelength stabilization apparatus for the superfluorescent source of claim 6 wherein said SFS means further comprises: an SFS fiber source; and a dichroic mirror for passing light at the pump wavelength and for reflecting light at the SFS fiber source wavelength into the SFS fiber source; and wherein said output controller means further comprises: an output residue sense and control means for sensing the power of the residual pump ray exiting the dichroic mirror for dithering the thermal drive signal to slightly vary the temperature of the pump light source around an operating temperature, the variation in pump light source temperature resulting in a corresponding variation in pump light source wavelength, said SFS means being responsive to said variation in pump light source wavelength to provide a corresponding variation in pump light source light absorption, the power of the residue ray varying as an inverse function to the power of the SFS light output, the output residue sense and control means being responsive to the variation in power of the residue pump ray for adjusting the thermal drive signal to adjust the operating temperature of the pump light source to minimize the power of the residue pump ray.

Claim 12

The wavelength stabilization apparatus for the superfluorescent source of claim 6 wherein said SFS means further comprises: an SFS fiber source; and wherein said output controller means further comprises: a temperature control means responsive to a an SFS temperature control signal for controlling the temperature of the SFS fiber source to correspond with a predetermined fixed value; and, a temperature control measuring means coupled to the SFS fiber source for providing said SFS temperature signal.

Claim 13

A wavelength stabilization method for stabilizing a superfluorescent source comprising the step of: pumping a SFS (superfluorescent source) to produce SFS light having an SFS wavelength with pump light from a pump light source having a pump light wavelength; sampling SFS light from the SFS and maximizing the power of the sample of SFS light by automatically adjusting the pump light wavelength.

Claim 14

A wavelength stabilization method for stabilizing a superfluorescent source comprising the step of: pumping a SFS (superfluorescent source) to produce SFS light having an SFS wavelength with pump light from a pump light source having a pump light wavelength; sampling SFS light from the SFS and maximizing the power of the sample of SFS light by automatically adjusting the pump light wavelength.

Claim 15

A wavelength stabilization method for an SFS (superfluorescent source) source comprising the steps of: producing SFS light from an SFS source having an SFS wavelength by pumping the SFS source with pump light from a pump light source having a pump light wavelength, a first portion of said pump light being absorbed in pumping the SFS source and a second portion of said pump light exiting the SFS source as a residue pump ray; sensing the residue pump ray; and responding to the residue pump ray to maximize the power of said sample of SFS light by automatically adjusting said pump light wavelength minimize the power of the residue pump ray.

Claim 16

A wavelength stabilization method for an SFS (superfluorescent source) source comprising the steps of: producing SFS light from an SFS source having an SFS wavelength by pumping the SFS source with pump light from a pump light source having a pump light wavelength, a first portion of said pump light being absorbed in pumping the SFS source and a second portion of said pump light exiting the SFS source as a residue pump ray; sensing the residue pump ray; and responding to the residue pump ray to maximize the power of said sample of SFS light by automatically adjusting said pump light wavelength minimize the power of the residue pump ray.

Claim 17

A wavelength stabilization apparatus for a superfluorescent fiber source comprising: a SFS (superfluorescent source) means for producing SFS light having an SFS wavelength when pumped with pump light from a pump light source having a pump light wavelength; an output controller means responsive to a sample of SFS light for maximizing the power of said sample of SFS light by automatically adjusting said pump light wavelength, said output controller means having; a pump light source temperature control means responsive to a thermal drive signal for controlling the temperature of the pump light source, and an output sense and control means for sensing the power of the sample of said SFS light and for controlling the thermal drive signal to vary the temperature of the pump light source around an operating temperature, the variation in pump light source temperature resulting in a corresponding variation in pump light source wavelength, said SFS fiber source being responsive to the variation in pump light source wavelength to provide a corresponding variation in the power of the sample of the SFS light, the output sense and control means being responsive to the variation in the power of the sample of the SFS light for adjusting the thermal drive signal to adjust the operating temperature of the pump light source to maximize the power of the sample SFS light.

Claim 18

A wavelength stabilization apparatus for a superfluorescent fiber source comprising: a SFS (superfluorescent source) means for producing SFS light having an SFS wavelength when pumped with pump light from a pump light source having a pump light wavelength; an output controller means responsive to a sample of SFS light for maximizing the power of said sample of SFS light by automatically adjusting said pump light wavelength, said output controller means having; a pump light source temperature control means responsive to a thermal drive signal for controlling the temperature of the pump light source, and an output sense and control means for sensing the power of the sample of said SFS light and for controlling the thermal drive signal to vary the temperature of the pump light source around an operating temperature, the variation in pump light source temperature resulting in a corresponding variation in pump light source wavelength, said SFS fiber source being responsive to the variation in pump light source wavelength to provide a corresponding variation in the power of the sample of the SFS light, the output sense and control means being responsive to the variation in the power of the sample of the SFS light for adjusting the thermal drive signal to adjust the operating temperature of the pump light source to maximize the power of the sample SFS light.

Claim 19

The wavelength stabilization apparatus for the superfluorescent source of claim 13 wherein said SFS (superfluorescent source) means further comprises an SFS fiber source, and said output controller means further comprising: a temperature control means responsive to a an SFS temperature control signal for controlling the temperature of the SFS fiber source to correspond with a predetermined fixed value; and a temperature control measuring means coupled to the SFS fiber source for providing said SFS temperature signal.

Claim 20

The wavelength stabilization apparatus for the superfluorescent source of claim 13 wherein said pump light source temperature control means further comprises: a thermoelectric cooler to which the pump light source is thermally coupled; and, a thermistor for measuring the temperature of the pump light source and for providing a pump temperature signal corresponding to the temperature of the pump light source; said output sense and control means being further characterized to be responsive to the pump temperature signal for adjusting the thermal drive signal to adjust the operating temperature of the pump light source to maximize the power of the sample SFS light.

Claim 21

A wavelength stabilization apparatus for a superfluorescent source comprising: a SFS (superfluorescent source) means for producing SFS light having an SFS wavelength when pumped with pump light from a pump light source having a pump light wavelength, a first portion of said pump light being absorbed in pumping the SFS means and a second portion of said pump light exiting said SFS means as a residual pump ray; an output controller means responsive to the residual pump ray for maximizing the power of said sample of SFS light by automatically adjusting said pump light wavelength, said output controller means having; a pump light source temperature control means responsive to a thermal drive signal for controlling the temperature of the pump light source, and an output residue sense and control means for sensing the power of the residual pump ray and for adjusting the thermal drive signal to adjust the operating temperature of the pump light source to minimize the power of the residue pump ray.

Claim 22

A wavelength stabilization apparatus for a superfluorescent source comprising: a SFS (superfluorescent source) means for producing SFS light having an SFS wavelength when pumped with pump light from a pump light source having a pump light wavelength, a first portion of said pump light being absorbed in pumping the SFS means and a second portion of said pump light exiting said SFS means as a residual pump ray; an output controller means responsive to the residual pump ray for maximizing the power of said sample of SFS light by automatically adjusting said pump light wavelength, said output controller means having; a pump light source temperature control means responsive to a thermal drive signal for controlling the temperature of the pump light source, and an output residue sense and control means for sensing the power of the residual pump ray and for adjusting the thermal drive signal to adjust the operating temperature of the pump light source to minimize the power of the residue pump ray.

Claim 23

The wavelength stabilization apparatus of claim 16 wherein: the output residue sense and control means is further characterized to vary the thermal drive signal to provide a variation in pump light source temperature around an operating point, the variation in temperature resulting in a corresponding variation in pump light source wavelength, and wherein; said SFS means responds to the variation in pump light source wavelength to provide a corresponding variation in pump light source light absorption, the power of the residue ray varying as an inverse function to the power of the SFS light output; whereby, the output residue sense and control means responds to the variation in power of the residue pump ray by adjusting the thermal drive signal to adjust the operating temperature of the pump light source to minimize the power of the residue pump ray.

Claim 24

The wavelength stabilization apparatus of claim 16 wherein the SFS means further comprises: an SFS fiber source; and a dichroic mirror for passing light at the pump wavelength and for reflecting light at the SFS fiber source wavelength into the SFS fiber source; and wherein said output controller means further comprises: an output residue sense and control means for sensing the power of the residual pump ray exiting the dichroic mirror and for dithering the thermal drive signal to slightly vary the temperature of the pump light source around an operating temperature, the variation in pump light source temperature resulting in a corresponding variation in pump light source wavelength, said SFS means being responsive to said variation in pump light source wavelength to provide a corresponding variation in pump light source light absorption, the power of the residue ray varying as an inverse function to the power of the SFS light output, the output residue sense and control means being responsive to the variation in power of the residue pump ray for adjusting the thermal drive signal to adjust the operating temperature of the pump light source to minimize the power of the residue pump ray.