A dual output laser diode may include first and second end facets and an active section. The first and second end facets have low reflectivity. The active section is positioned between the first end facet and the second end facet. The active section is configured to generate light that propagates toward each of the first and second end facets. The first end facet is configured to transmit a majority of the light that reaches the first end facet through the first end facet. The second end facet is configured to transmit a majority of the light that reaches the second end facet through the second end facet.

A method for adjusting a laser beam includes, following passage of the laser beam through a beam-shaping device, measuring, via a detector of a detector device, a beam profile of the laser beam. The method further includes determining a beam quality property of the laser beam based on the measured beam profile and altering an adjustable optical unit for modifying at least one property of the laser beam prior to the entry into the beam-shaping device. For adjusting the laser beam, the adjustable optical unit is altered based on the determined beam quality property.

In some implementations, an amplifier device may include a first amplifier configured to amplify signals in a first range of optical wavelengths. The first amplifier may include a first portion that includes one or more first optical gain components, and a second portion that includes one or more second optical gain components and a variable optical attenuator. The amplifier device may include a second amplifier configured to amplify signals in a second range of optical wavelengths. The amplifier device may include a filter for the first range of optical wavelengths and the second range of optical wavelengths. The filter may be located between the first portion and the second portion of the first amplifier.

A tunable source includes a short-cavity laser optimized for performance and reliability in SSOCT imaging systems, spectroscopic detection systems, and other types of detection and sensing systems. The short cavity laser has a large free spectral range cavity, fast tuning response and single transverse, longitudinal and polarization mode operation, and includes embodiments for fast and wide tuning, and optimized spectral shaping. Disclosed are both electrical and optical pumping in a MEMS-VCSEL geometry with mirror and gain regions optimized for wide tuning, high output power, and a variety of preferred wavelength ranges; and a semiconductor optical amplifier, combined with the short-cavity laser to produce high-power, spectrally shaped operation. Several preferred imaging and detection systems make use of this tunable source for optimized operation are also disclosed.

An apparatus (such as a laser-based system) and method for providing optical pulses in a broad range of pulse widths and pulse energies uses a pulse slicer which is configured to slice a predefined portion having a desired pulse width of each of the one or more output optical pulses from a laser oscillator, in which timings of a rising edge and a falling edge of each sliced optical pulse relative to a time instance of a maximum of the corresponding each of the one or more output optical pulses from the laser oscillator, are chosen at least to maximize amplification efficiency of the optical amplifier, which may be located after the pulse slicer, and to provide the one or more amplified output optical pulses each having the desired pulse energy and pulse width.

A light source device according to an embodiment is used with a light guide member and a wavelength converting member, and includes a light-emitting element, a light sensor, and a driving unit. The light-emitting element radiates a light beam to be incident on a first end of the light guide member by being supplied with a drive current. The light sensor detects signal light, which has been incident on a second end of the light guide member and transmitted to the first end. The driving unit supplies the drive current to the light-emitting element and controls the drive current based on a result of detection of the signal light.

A method for adjusting a laser beam includes, following passage of the laser beam through a beam-shaping device, measuring, via a detector of a detector device, a beam profile of the laser beam. The method further includes determining a beam quality property of the laser beam based on the measured beam profile and altering an adjustable optical unit for modifying at least one property of the laser beam prior to the entry into the beam-shaping device. For adjusting the laser beam, the adjustable optical unit is altered based on the determined beam quality property.

A laser light-source apparatus includes a seed light source 10, fiber amplifiers 20 and 30 and a solid state amplifier 50 configured to amplify pulse light output from the seed light source, nonlinear optical elements 60 and 70 configured to perform wavelength conversion on the pulse light output from the solid state amplifier 50 and output the resultant pulse light, a semiconductor optical amplifier 15 disposed between the seed light source 10 and the solid state amplifier 50 and configured to amplify the pulse light output from the seed light source 10, and a control unit 100 configured to execute gain switching control processing in which the seed light source 10 is driven at a desired pulse rate, and semiconductor optical amplifier control processing in which an injection current to the semiconductor optical amplifier 15 is controlled depending on the pulse rate of the seed light source 10, and thus, generation of a giant pulse can be reliably prevented, regardless of the pulse rate of the seed light source.

Method and systems are disclosed for generating amplified output laser pulses with individually predefined pulse energies at individually predefined times at an output by providing a pulse sequence of input laser pulses having the same pulse energy and the same temporal pulse interval smaller than the temporal pulse interval between two adjacent output laser pulses, selecting the input laser pulses that arrive at the output at or about the predefined times, amplifying the selected input laser pulses with an optical amplifier, wherein at least one sacrificial laser pulse is inserted into the pulse sequence of the selected input laser pulses before the subsequent one of the two successive input laser pulses to be amplified, and reducing the pulse energies of the amplified input laser pulses to predefined pulse energies by time-controlled partial decoupling depending on their pulse intervals from the corresponding immediately preceding amplified input or sacrificial laser pulse.

Systems and methods include a radiation source configured to generate a first waveform, a first separator configured to separate the first waveform into linearly polarized second and third waveforms, a first modulator configured to modulate at least one of a phase and a polarization of the second waveform to generate a fourth waveform, a second modulator configured to modulate at least one of a phase and a polarization of the third waveform to generate a fifth waveform, a first combiner configured to combine the fourth and fifth waveforms to generate a sixth waveform, an amplifier configured to amplify the sixth waveform to generate a seventh waveform, a second separator configured to separate the seventh waveform into a plurality of amplified waveforms, and beam directing optics configured to direct the plurality of amplified waveforms to form an output waveform at a target location.