US 11,876,346 B2
Continuous wave laser driver with energy recycling
Junhua Shen, Wilmington, MA (US)
Assigned to Analog Devices, Inc., Norwood, MA (US)
Filed by Analog Devices, Inc., Norwood, MA (US)
Filed on Jun. 26, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/453,706.
Prior Publication US 2020/0412087 A1, Dec. 31, 2020
Int. Cl. G01S 17/00 (2020.01); H01S 5/042 (2006.01); G01S 17/10 (2020.01); G01S 7/484 (2006.01)
CPC H01S 5/0428 (2013.01) [G01S 7/484 (2013.01); G01S 17/10 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A laser pulse emitter circuit comprising:
a laser diode;
a laser diode driver circuit including:
an inductive circuit element arranged in series with the laser diode;
a switch circuit;
a first capacitive circuit element arranged in series with the inductive circuit element and arranged in parallel with the laser diode;
a second capacitive circuit element arranged in series with the inductive circuit element and arranged in parallel with the switch circuit; and
wherein the switch circuit is configured to activate the laser diode using duty cycling that includes an on-period and an off-period that includes an energy transfer phase and a ringing phase, wherein energy used in an activation of the laser diode includes energy stored in the inductive circuit element during the on-period, energy transferred to the first capacitive circuit element and charge on the second capacitive element minimized during the energy transfer phase, and energy stored in the inductive circuit element and first and second capacitive circuit elements of the ringing phase recycled by use in a subsequent activation of the laser diode, wherein the subsequent activation of the laser diode begins when energy is still oscillating in the inductive circuit element and first and second capacitive circuit elements and a voltage across the second capacitive element is minimized.