This application describes a laser driver that can include a voltage source, an inductor, at least one capacitor, a diode laser, and an electronic switch. The switch may be connected to ground and may be configured to alternate between an on state and an off state. In a first on state, current may flow through the switch to the inductor and through the inductor to store energy in the inductor. In a first off state, the inductor may release the stored energy and allow current to flow to the at least one capacitor to charge the at least one capacitor. In a second on state, the at least one capacitor may discharge and allow current to flow through the diode laser to cause the diode laser to emit light energy.

A system comprises a seed laser diode, a semiconductor optical amplifier, and a driver. The seed laser diode is configured to produce a seed optical signal. The semiconductor optical amplifier is configured to, based on an injected amplifier current pulse, amplify the seed optical signal to produce an emitted optical signal. The driver is configured to provide to the seed laser diode or the semiconductor optical amplifier, a profiled compensation current associated with the injected amplifier current pulse to at least in part control a frequency chirp of the emitted optical signal.

System for converting relatively long pulses from rep-rate variable ultrafast optical sources to shorter, high-energy pulses suitable for sources in high-energy ultrafast lasers. Fibers with positive group velocity dispersion (GVD) and self phase modulation are advantageously employed with the optical sources. These systems take advantage of the need for higher pulse energies at lower repetition rates so that such sources can be cost effective.

A frequency-chirped integrated silicon-photonic laser may be provided with separate gain and phase-tuning sections in the laser cavity, one or two wavelength filters forming part of the reflective structures defining the cavity, and electro-optic and optionally thermo-optic intra-cavity and filter phase tuners. The electro-optic phase tuners may be driven with synchronized voltage waveforms, at amplitudes determined, based on measurements of the laser output power and chirp, to achieve mode-hop-free frequency chirping with a target chirp amplitude. The waveforms may be predistorted to improve chirp linearity.

A laser diode drive circuit is provided that includes a plurality of laser diodes having cathode sides connected in common, a capacitor that supplies a current to the laser diodes, and a switching element. The laser diode drive circuit further includes a driving power supply that supplies a current to the capacitor, a diode that restricts a flow of the current in a direction of charging of the capacitor, and current suppression elements provided on anode sides of the plurality of laser diodes, respectively, the current suppression elements suppressing a flow of the current that flows to one laser diode to another laser diode in discharging of the capacitor.

A frequency sweep control method and apparatus are provided. The method includes: outputting a first optical signal of a first laser unit, where a first frequency sweep range of the first optical signal is determined based on a first reference light emitting frequency and a first frequency variation upper limit; and switching to output a second optical signal of a second laser unit when a first frequency variation of the first optical signal is greater than or equal to a first threshold, where a second frequency sweep range of the second optical signal is determined based on a second reference light emitting frequency and a second frequency variation upper limit, and the first threshold is less than the first frequency variation upper limit.