The disclosed embodiments improve on the design of existing hybrid ring lasers by enabling a redundancy of one of the least reliable components, the III-V reflective semiconductor optical amplifier (RSOA). This allows a spare RSOA to be used to replace a failed RSOA while using the same ring mirror as the wavelength selective filter, thus reducing link down time, and eliminating the need for additional switching or multiplexing elements which add excess loss and require additional power. The result is a more reliable transmitter enabling greater scale in networking systems. In addition, this facilitates a widely tunable laser with the same outputs by utilizing two gain media comprised of different bandgap active material. Finally, multiple correlated wavelengths can be emitted from this device with two different gain materials using the same ring mirror element as reference.

A method of bonding an RE:XAB gain medium to a heat spreader includes using a bonding solution of sodium silicate with concentration of sodium silicate is Na2O at 21.2% and SiO2 at 53% with PH>=11 mixed with nano-pure water in a 1:1 ration. Applying the bonding solution onto either a surface of the RE:XAB or a surface of the heat spreader, aligning the RE:XAB and the heat spreader, applying pressure to draw the surfaces of the RE:XAB gain medium and the heat spreader together thereby uniformly spreading the bonding solution; and then curing the bonding solution.

A hybrid laser structure (comprising III-V gain material and a silicon-based photonic integrated circuit) is configured to control the number of generated mode-locked wavelengths by including an optical wavelength filter within the photonic integrated circuit portion of the laser cavity. The optical wavelength filter is used to control the number of comb lines that are supported by the laser cavity, filtering out a set of non-selected mode-locked wavelengths to control the generated number. The optical filter may be passive or active, and the number of generated comb lines may be fixed or adjustable, as desired.

The disclosed embodiments improve on the design of existing hybrid ring lasers by enabling a redundancy of one of the least reliable components, the III-V reflective semiconductor optical amplifier (RSOA). This allows a spare RSOA to be used to replace a failed RSOA while using the same ring mirror as the wavelength selective filter, thus reducing link down time, and eliminating the need for additional switching or multiplexing elements which add excess loss and require additional power. The result is a more reliable transmitter enabling greater scale in networking systems. In addition, this facilitates a widely tunable laser with the same outputs by utilizing two gain media comprised of different bandgap active material. Finally, multiple correlated wavelengths can be emitted from this device with two different gain materials using the same ring mirror element as reference.

An apparatus and method for optical-power-transfer (OPT). A light source converts electrical energy into light, and the light is transmitted from the active layer of the light source directly to the active layers of a series of photovoltaic (PV) devices without first passing through a conduction layer of the PV device. Thus, absorption in the conduction layer is avoided, and the efficiency of the OPT system is improved. The PV devices are configured to each generate equal current, and the PV devices are electrically connected in series. PV devices are arranged in series with light first propagating through PV devices closer to the light source, and farther PV devices having a longer propagation length, such that the light absorbed and current generated by each PV device is equal to the other PV devices. In one implementation, the PV devices are configured in a laser cavity with the light source.

Example embodiments relate to lasers that include loop resonators. One example laser includes a loop resonator forming a closed loop light path. The loop resonator includes an optical gain medium configured to lase. The loop resonator is configured to, during lasing, present a pair of modes: a mode of light propagating in a clockwise direction in the closed loop light path of the loop resonator (termed CW mode) and a mode of light propagating in a counter-clockwise direction in the closed loop light path of the loop resonator (termed CCW mode). The laser also includes a first light output configured to output laser light from the laser. Additionally, the laser includes an optical power modulating unit. The optical power modulation unit is configured to modulate an optical power of the CW mode of the loop resonator and an optical power of the CCW mode of the loop resonator.

A method of operating a q-switch RE,XAB laser includes: providing a pump bias current to a pump source, the pump source directed to an RE:XAB gain medium, the RE:XAB gain medium within a resonator cavity, where X is selected from Ca, Lu, Yb, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Ga, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, and where RE is selected from Lu, Y, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Pr, Tm, Cr, Ho, with a bias current level below a lasing threshold of the RE:XAB gain medium; providing a pump pulse to the gain medium, the pump pulse of the lasing threshold of the RE:XAB gain medium, the pump pulse causing the RE:XAB gain medium to emit a laser pulse; and reducing the pump bias current to at least below the gain medium lasing threshold, the combination of the pump bias, the pump pulse, and the pump reduction having a current profile.

An apparatus and method for optical-power-transfer (OPT). A light source converts electrical energy into light, and the light is transmitted from the active layer of the light source directly to the active layers of a series of photovoltaic (PV) devices without first passing through a conduction layer of the PV device. Thus, absorption in the conduction layer is avoided, and the efficiency of the OPT system is improved. The PV devices are configured to each generate equal current, and the PV devices are electrically connected in series. PV devices are arranged in series with light first propagating through PV devices closer to the light source, and farther PV devices having a longer propagation length, such that the light absorbed and current generated by each PV device is equal to the other PV devices. In one implementation, the PV devices are configured in a laser cavity with the light source.

A synchronized laser system for illuminating a sample with first and second laser light pulses, said system comprising: a trigger, said trigger being operative to issue first and second trigger signals, said first and second trigger signals being emitted at an adjustable frequency with a predetermined delay therebetween; a first tunable mode-locked laser operative for emitting said first laser light pulses in response to receiving a train of said first trigger signals, a first wavelength of said first laser light pulses being dependent on said adjustable frequency in accordance with a first wavelength-frequency relationship; a second tunable mode-locked laser operative for emitting said second laser light pulses in response to receiving a train of said second trigger signals, a second wavelength of said second laser light pulses being dependent on said adjustable frequency in accordance with a second wavelength-frequency relationship; wherein said predetermined delay is such that said first and second laser light pulses are emitted so as to arrive substantially simultaneously in said sample; and said first and second wavelength-frequency relationships are selected to result in a predetermined relationship between said first and second wavelengths at each frequency.

An apparatus and method for optical-power-transfer (OPT). A light source converts electrical energy into light, and the light is transmitted from the active layer of the light source directly to the active layers of a series of photovoltaic (PV) devices without first passing through a conduction layer of the PV device. Thus, absorption in the conduction layer is avoided, and the efficiency of the OPT system is improved. The PV devices are configured to each generate equal current, and the PV devices are electrically connected in series. PV devices are arranged in series with light first propagating through PV devices closer to the light source, and farther PV devices having a longer propagation length, such that the light absorbed and current generated by each PV device is equal to the other PV devices. In one implementation, the PV devices are configured in a laser cavity with the light source.