Methods and devices are described for performing an all-phase measurement of an ultra-fast laser pulse having a spectral range of greater than one octave. The ultra-fast laser pulse may be split into a first beam comprising a fundamental light with a wavelength λ.sub.0 and a second beam comprising a light with a wavelength 2λ.sub.0. The light with the wavelength 2λ.sub.0 may be frequency doubled to a light with a wavelength λ.sub.0 to generate an interference with the fundamental light. Fourier transform may be performed on an interference spectrum of the interference, and a relative envelope delay (RED) between the fundamental light and the frequency doubled light and a carrier envelope phase (CEP) may be acquired based on a result of the Fourier transform.

An electrodeless laser-driven light source includes a laser that generates a CW sustaining light. A pump laser generates pump light. A Q-switched laser crystal receives the pump light generated by the pump laser and generates pulsed laser light at an output in response to the generated pump light. A first optical element projects the pulsed laser light along a first axis to a breakdown region in a gas-filled bulb comprising an ionizing gas. A second optical element projects the CW sustaining light along a second axis to a CW plasma region in the gas-filled bulb comprising the ionizing gas. A detector detects plasma light generated by a CW plasma and generates a detection signal at an output. A controller generates control signals that control the pump light to the Q-switched laser crystal so as to extinguish the pulsed laser light within a time delay after the detection signal exceeds a threshold level.

An electrodeless laser-driven light source includes a laser that generates a CW sustaining light. A pump laser generates pump light. A Q-switched laser crystal receives the pump light generated by the pump laser and generates pulsed laser light at an output in response to the generated pump light. A first optical element projects the pulsed laser light along a first axis to a breakdown region in a gas-filled bulb comprising an ionizing gas. A second optical element projects the CW sustaining light along a second axis to a CW plasma region in the gas-filled bulb comprising the ionizing gas. A detector detects plasma light generated by a CW plasma and generates a detection signal at an output. A controller generates control signals that control the pump light to the Q-switched laser crystal so as to extinguish the pulsed laser light within a time delay after the detection signal exceeds a threshold level.

One illustrative backscattering generator disclosed herein includes a low-reflection waveguide structure, a slot waveguide structure comprising a first waveguide, a second waveguide and a slot located between the first waveguide and the second waveguide, and a variable direction coupler operatively coupled to the low-reflection waveguide structure and the slot waveguide structure.

An optical amplifier assembly and a detection method capable of dynamically performing optical time-domain reflection detection. The detection method comprises obtaining signal light intensity detection signals from a first and second photodetectors and sending a control signal to an L-band Raman pump when the signal light intensity in the second photodetector is lower than a first preset threshold, so that the L-band Raman pump enters into an optical time-domain reflection detection mode; sending a control signal to the L-band Raman pump when the signal light intensity in the second photodetector is greater than or equal the first preset threshold, so that the L-band Raman pump enters into an L-Band Raman optical fiber amplifier operation mode.

An extinction ratio testing system (10) includes a microcontroller (102), an extinction ratio tester (104), and a thermostat (106). The microcontroller (102) controls the thermostat (106) to maintain an optical transceiver module (20) at a predetermined high temperature, and then the microcontroller (102) controls the extinction ratio tester (104) to test an extinction ratio of the optical transceiver module (20). If the extinction ratio is lower than a standard extinction ratio, the microcontroller (102) controls the optical transceiver module (20) to increase a laser operating current (212) of the optical transceiver module (20) to increase the extinction ratio.

A laser system may include one or more seed lasers to generate a pulsed seed beam including one or more laser pulses, a pulse pattern generator to generate an intermediate patterned burst-mode beam from at least one laser pulse from the pulsed seed beam, where the pulse pattern generator includes splits the at least one laser pulse from the pulsed seed beam along two or more delay paths and combines light along the two or more delay paths to a common optical path, and where the intermediate patterned burst-mode beam includes laser pulses with a selected pattern of inter-pulse spacings associated with the two or more delay paths. The laser system may further include power amplifiers to amplify the intermediate patterned burst-mode beam to form an amplified patterned burst-mode beam, where the amplified patterned burst-mode beam includes amplified laser pulses with the selected pattern of inter-pulse spacings.

A system and method for measuring optical power is described. The optical system and method may include a module configured to generate a secondly modulated signal based on secondly modulating a firstly modulated signal with an amplitude modulated signal. The firstly modulated signal may include data that is modulated for transmission by a laser diode array. The firstly modulated signal may then be secondly modulated using amplitude modulation techniques. The system may further include a photodiode configured to generate a photodiode current based on optically sensing a laser diode array. The laser diode array outputs an optical output power based on being driven by the secondly modulated signal. The system may yet further include a controller configured to calculate the optical output power from the photodiode current based on the amplitude modulated signal.

A method is disclosed for controlling a pulse repetition rate of pulsed laser beam 1 created by pulsed laser oscillator 100, includes generating beam 1 by oscillator 100, splitting beam 1 into first pulsed split beam 1a and second pulsed split beam 1b, time-delaying split beam 1a relative to split beam 1b by optical delay device 220, generating timing baseband signal Sc including a timing jitter of the pulse repetition rate based on split beam 1a and second split beam 1b by timing detector device 230, generating feedback signal Sf based on timing baseband signal Sc, and applying feedback signal Sf on oscillator 100 and controlling the pulse repetition rate of beam 1 based on the feedback signal Sf. Furthermore, repetition rate control apparatus 200 for controlling a pulse repetition rate of pulsed laser oscillator 100 and pulsed laser oscillator 100, comprising repetition rate control apparatus 200 are described.

A PIC has first, second and third elements fabricated on a common substrate. The first element includes a structure supporting efficient coupling of one or more free-space optical modes of incident light into one or more waveguide guided optical modes. The second element includes an on-chip interferometer having an input optically coupled to the waveguide guided optical modes; one or more arms; one or more outputs; and a phase tuner configured to change optical path length in one or more of the arms. The third element includes one or more light detecting structures optically coupled to the one or more outputs of the second element, such that variation in optical power in the one or more outputs is detected, allowing an assessment of coherence characterizing the light incident on the first element of the PIC to be provided.