US 11,675,245 B2
Optical sources
Anatoly Borisovich Grudinin, Southampton (GB); John Redvers Clowes, New Milton (GB); Pascal Dupriez, Leognan (FR); and Michael Yarrow, Fareham (GB)
Assigned to NKT PHOTONICS A/S, Birkerød (DK)
Filed by NKT PHOTONICS A/S, Birkerød (DK)
Filed on Mar. 3, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/191,401.
Application 17/191,401 is a continuation of application No. 16/733,739, filed on Jan. 3, 2020, abandoned.
Application 16/733,739 is a continuation of application No. 14/922,514, filed on Oct. 26, 2015, granted, now 10,527,907, issued on Jan. 7, 2020.
Application 14/922,514 is a continuation of application No. 14/337,169, filed on Jul. 21, 2014, granted, now 9,188,835, issued on Nov. 17, 2015.
Application 14/337,169 is a continuation of application No. 13/522,594, granted, now 8,785,884, issued on Jul. 22, 2014, previously published as PCT/GB2011/050106, filed on Jan. 24, 2011.
Claims priority of application No. 1001051 (GB), filed on Jan. 22, 2010.
Prior Publication US 2021/0333685 A1, Oct. 28, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G02F 1/35 (2006.01); G01N 21/64 (2006.01); G02B 21/00 (2006.01); H01S 3/30 (2006.01); G02F 1/39 (2006.01); G01N 21/65 (2006.01); H01S 3/00 (2006.01); H01S 3/067 (2006.01); H01S 3/16 (2006.01)
CPC G02F 1/3536 (2013.01) [G01N 21/6458 (2013.01); G01N 21/65 (2013.01); G02B 21/0032 (2013.01); G02B 21/0076 (2013.01); G02B 21/0084 (2013.01); G02F 1/3532 (2013.01); G02F 1/395 (2013.01); H01S 3/0092 (2013.01); H01S 3/30 (2013.01); G01N 2021/653 (2013.01); G02F 1/3507 (2021.01); G02F 1/3528 (2021.01); G02F 1/392 (2021.01); G02F 2202/32 (2013.01); H01S 3/005 (2013.01); H01S 3/067 (2013.01); H01S 3/06741 (2013.01); H01S 3/1618 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A tunable frequency conversion arrangement for producing optical signals having different output wavelengths, comprising:
a tunable pump optical source arranged to generate a first optical signal at a pump wavelength, the tunable pump optical source being tunable in that the pump wavelength can be varied;
a microstructured fibre arranged to receive the first optical signal, the microstructured fibre being arranged to cause the first optical signal to undergo four wave mixing on transmission through the microstructured fibre such that a second optical signal at a signal wavelength and a third optical signal at an idler wavelength are generated; and
a tunable nonlinear optical element arranged to receive at least two of the first, second and third optical signals, wherein the tunable nonlinear optical element can be tuned to select a frequency conversion mode of a plurality of frequency conversion modes, wherein, in the frequency conversion modes of the plurality of frequency conversion modes, one or more of the received optical signals is caused to undergo a nonlinear process on transmission through the tunable nonlinear optical element such that a frequency-converted optical signal is generated;
whereby through selection of the pump wavelength via tuning of the tunable pump optical source, and selection of the frequency conversion mode by tuning of the tunable nonlinear optical element, optical signals at different wavelengths can be produced at the output of the frequency conversion arrangement.