A device includes a polarization rotator configured to be switchable between operating in two switching states. The device also includes a controller configured to control the polarization rotator to switch between operating in the two switching states at a predetermined switching frequency, to thereby switch, a polarization of a component of an input light having an initial light intensity, between two orthogonal polarizations at the predetermined switching frequency. The device also includes a polarizer coupled with the polarization rotator, and configured to convert the input light transmitted through the polarization rotator into an output light having a light intensity reduced to a predetermined percentage of the initial light intensity of the input light.

A supercontinuum radiation source including a modulator being operable to modulate pump laser radiation including a train of radiation pulses to provide modulated pump laser radiation, the modulation being such to selectively provide a burst of the pulses; and a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber being operable to receive the modulated pump laser radiation and excite a working medium contained within the hollow-core photonic crystal fiber so as to generate supercontinuum radiation.

Systems and methods for generating indistinguishable Glauber-state and decoy-state optical signals. In one implementation, the system includes a direct current (“DC”) current source, a configurable pulse generator, an electronic controller, and a laser diode. The electronic controller is configured to control the DC current source to apply a bias signal to a node. The electronic controller is further configured to control the configurable pulse generator to apply Glauber-state excitation current pulses to the node to generate Glauber-state current injection pulses. The electronic controller is also configured to control the configurable pulse generator to apply decoy-state excitation current pulses to the node to generate decoy-state current injection pulses. An amplitude of the decoy-state current injection pulses is less than an amplitude of the Glauber-state current injection pulses. The laser diode is configured to generate Glauber-state and decoy-state optical signals based on the Glauber-state and decoy-state current injection pulses.

A supercontinuum radiation source including a modulator being operable to modulate pump laser radiation including a train of radiation pulses to provide modulated pump laser radiation, the modulation being such to selectively provide a burst of the pulses; and a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber being operable to receive the modulated pump laser radiation and excite a working medium contained within the hollow-core photonic crystal fiber so as to generate supercontinuum radiation.

A device includes a polarization rotator configured to be switchable between operating in two switching states. The device also includes a controller configured to control the polarization rotator to switch between operating in the two switching states at a predetermined switching frequency, to thereby switch, a polarization of a component of an input light having an initial light intensity, between two orthogonal polarizations at the predetermined switching frequency. The device also includes a polarizer coupled with the polarization rotator, and configured to convert the input light transmitted through the polarization rotator into an output light having a light intensity reduced to a predetermined percentage of the initial light intensity of the input light.

This invention relates to a device for rapid focus control of one or more lasers. The controlled beam, is refracted by the dynamic refraction device whose refractive index is set by its response to the control beam. The invention can be used for rapid focus and re-focus of a laser on a target as might be useful in such industries as flat panel television manufacturing, fuel injector nozzle manufacture, laser material processing/machining, laser scanning and indirect drive inertial confinement fusion.

An optical dimming device includes at least one polarization rotator configured to switch a polarization of a linearly polarized component of an incoming light between two orthogonal polarizations. The optical dimming device also includes at least one polarizer coupled with the at least one polarization rotator, and configured to output a light having a light intensity reduced to a predetermined percentage of an initial light intensity of the incoming light. The predetermined percentage is substantially the same for different incoming lights having different initial polarizations.

A method for providing a jitter signal for modulating a switching frequency of a power switch for a power converter. The method comprising receiving a drive signal representative of the switching frequency of the power switch, detecting the switching frequency from the drive signal, determining if the switching frequency is less than a first threshold frequency, and modulating a frequency of the jitter signal in response to determining if the switching frequency is less than the first threshold frequency.

Disclosed is a system for compressing short or ultra-short light pulses emitted by a light source. The compression system includes:—a first non-linear light pulse compression module including a multi-pass cell, the multi-pass cell including a first non-linear optical medium; and—a second non-linear light pulse compression module including a capillary filled with a gaseous second non-linear optical medium, and a compressor arranged at the output of the capillary, the first non-linear compression module and the second non-linear compression module being arranged in series on the path of a source light beam of source light pulses. Also disclosed is a light-pulses laser system and to a method for compressing short or ultra-short light pulses.

A controller for use in a power converter including a jitter generator circuit coupled to receive a drive signal from a switch controller and generate a jitter signal. The jitter signal is a modulated jitter signal when the drive signal is below a first threshold frequency. The switch controller is coupled to a power switch coupled to an energy transfer element. The switch controller is coupled to receive a current sense signal representative of a current through the power switch. The switch controller is coupled to generate the drive signal to control switching of the power switch in response to the current sense signal and the jitter signal to control a transfer of energy from an input of the power converter to an output of the power converter.