Skip to main content
Kent Academic Repository

Versatile swept source with adjustable coherence length

Stancu, R.F., Jackson, David A., Podoleanu, Adrian G.H. (2014) Versatile swept source with adjustable coherence length. IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, 26 (16). pp. 1629-1632. ISSN 1041-1135. (doi:10.1109/LPT.2014.2329368) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:49275)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/LPT.2014.2329368

Abstract

An electronically controlled optical swept source at 1550 nm using mode locking in a dispersive ring cavity is described. Active mode-locking was achieved by directly modulating the current of a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) used as a gain medium. In the static regime, parameters such as linewidth, tuning bandwidth, and contrast were measured, whereas the axial range was determined dynamically. Two types of fiber, dispersion compensation and single mode, are employed in the laser ring cavity. It is demonstrated that the relative lengths of the two types of fiber have little effect on the linewidth, whereas more control on the linewidth is obtained via the frequency of the signal driving the SOA. Linewidths less than 60 pm and over 1 nm were measured in the static regime while driving the SOA at 50-500 MHz. The narrowest linewidths were achieved where the proportion of dispersion compensation fiber in the cavity was 80%-90% of the total length. The optical source is developed to respond to the demands of several optical coherence tomography applications that do not necessarily need long coherence length swept sources. © 2014 IEEE.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1109/LPT.2014.2329368
Uncontrolled keywords: laser mode locking, optical fiber dispersion, radio frequency, ring laser, Semiconductor optical amplifier, Dispersion compensation, Laser mode locking, Locks (fasteners), Optical fibers, Optical switches, Optical tomography, Ring lasers, Semiconductor optical amplifiers, Active mode locking, Coherence lengths, Coherence tomography, Dispersion-compensation fibers, Long coherence length, Optical fiber dispersion, Radio frequencies, Relative length, Linewidth
Subjects: Q Science > QC Physics > QC355 Optics
Q Science > QC Physics > QC411 Interference
T Technology > TK Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering > TK8300 Optoelectronic devices. Photoelectronic devices
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Physics and Astronomy
Depositing User: Giles Tarver
Date Deposited: 08 Jul 2015 14:46 UTC
Last Modified: 17 Aug 2022 10:59 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/49275 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Stancu, R.F..

Creator's ORCID:
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Jackson, David A..

Creator's ORCID:
CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Podoleanu, Adrian G.H..

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4899-9656
CReDIT Contributor Roles:
  • Depositors only (login required):

Total unique views for this document in KAR since July 2020. For more details click on the image.