Abstract:
A source of femtosecond optical pulses comprises a seed pulse source arranged to generate seed pulses; an optical amplifier downstream of the seed pulse source, the optical amplifier having a gain bandwidth; a nonlinear optical element downstream of the amplifier, the optical element spectrally broadening optical pulses via a non linear process to have a spectral bandwidth that exceeds the gain bandwidth of the optical amplifier; and a pulse compressor downstream of the nonlinear optical element and arranged to reduce the temporal duration of optical pulses so as to provide output optical pulses having a femtoseconds time duration.
Abstract:
A source of femtosecond optical pulses comprises a seed pulse source arranged to generate seed pulses; an optical amplifier downstream of the seed pulse source, the optical amplifier having a gain bandwidth; a nonlinear optical element downstream of the amplifier, the optical element spectrally broadening optical pulses via a non linear process to have a spectral bandwidth that exceeds the gain bandwidth of the optical amplifier; and a pulse compressor downstream of the nonlinear optical element and arranged to reduce the temporal duration of optical pulses so as to provide output optical pulses having a femtoseconds time duration.
Abstract:
An optical source 10 comprising an optical output 12, a pump optical source 14, an optical splitter arranged to receive an optical signal from the pump optical source and to split the optical signal into a pump signal and a seed pump signal. A seed signal forming apparatus 18 is arranged to receive the seed pump signal at the pump wavelength and to transform the seed pump signal into a seed signal at a seed wavelength. A first microstructured optical fibre (MSF1) 20 is arranged to receive the pump signal and the seed signal. MSF1 is arranged to cause the pump signal to undergo four-wave mixing seeded by the seed signal on transmission through MSF1 such that a first optical signal at a signal wavelength and second optical signal at an idler wavelength are generated. One of the signal wavelength and the idler wavelength are the seed wavelength and one of the first and second optical signals are provided to the optical output.
Abstract:
An optical system comprises an optical apparatus arranged to direct received light to different paths and to provide a first signal and a second signal, said first and second signals having an optical difference therebetween sufficient for distinguishing optical signals, an amplifier in optical communication with the optical apparatus for amplifying the first and second signals, and a discrimination device to receive amplified light and to provide output light responsive to the optical difference.
Abstract:
A pulse conditioning apparatus can comprise a signal splitter for splitting a pulsed input signal into first and second pulsed signals; a spectrally dispersive element configured for subjecting the first pulsed signal to a spectral dispersion for compressing or stretching the first pulsed signal, the first and second pulsed signals being subjected to substantially different spectral dispersion; and a combiner for combining the first and second pulsed signals to an output pulsed signal, the output pulsed signal output comprising pulses having a surge pulse portion and a base pulse portion, at least one of the portions derived at least in part from the spectral dispersion and attendant compression or stretching of the first pulsed signal.
Abstract:
A coherent anti-stokes Raman scattering apparatus for imaging a sample comprises an optical output; an optical source arranged to generate a first optical signal at a first wavelength; and a nonlinear element arranged to receive the first optical signal, where the nonlinear element is arranged to cause the first optical signal to undergo four-wave mixing on transmission through the nonlinear element such that a second optical signal at a second wavelength and a third optical signal at a third wavelength are generated, wherein an optical signal pair comprising two of the first, second and third optical signals is provided to the optical output for imaging the sample.
Abstract:
An optical source 10 comprising an optical output 12, a pump optical source 14, an optical splitter arranged to receive an optical signal from the pump optical source and to split the optical signal into a pump signal and a seed pump signal. A seed signal forming apparatus 18 is arranged to receive the seed pump signal at the pump wavelength and to transform the seed pump signal into a seed signal at a seed wavelength. A first microstructured optical fiber (MSF1) 20 is arranged to receive the pump signal and the seed signal. MSF1 is arranged to cause the pump signal to undergo four-wave mixing seeded by the seed signal on transmission through MSF1 such that a first optical signal at a signal wavelength and second optical signal at an idler wavelength are generated. One of the signal wavelength and the idler wavelength are the seed wavelength and one of the first and second optical signals are provided to the optical output.