US 11,901,697 B2
Single-FET pulsed laser diode driver
Joseph H. Colles, Bonsall, CA (US); Steven E. Rosenbaum, San Diego, CA (US); and Stuart B. Molin, Carlsbad, CA (US)
Assigned to Silanna Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore (SG)
Filed by Silanna Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore (SG)
Filed on Apr. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/661,184.
Application 17/661,184 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/657,973, filed on Apr. 5, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0318259 A1, Oct. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. H01S 5/042 (2006.01); H03K 17/687 (2006.01)
CPC H01S 5/0428 (2013.01) [H03K 17/6871 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A pulsed laser diode driver comprising:
a plurality of resonant laser diode driver cells, each resonant laser diode driver cell comprising:
an inductor having a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal being configured to receive a source voltage;
a bypass capacitor having a first terminal directly electrically connected to the first terminal of the inductor and a second terminal directly electrically connected to the second terminal of the inductor;
a laser diode having a cathode that is directly electrically connected to the first terminal of the inductor and an anode that is directly electrically connected to the second terminal of the inductor; and
a bypass switch having a drain node that is directly electrically connected to the second terminal of the inductor and a source node that is directly electrically connected to ground;
a source capacitor having a first terminal directly electrically connected to the first terminal of each inductor of the plurality of resonant laser diode driver cells to provide the source voltage thereto and a second terminal electrically coupled to ground; and
a damping switch having a drain node that is directly electrically connected to the first terminal of the source capacitor and a source node that is directly electrically connected to ground;
wherein:
for each resonant laser diode driver cell of the plurality of resonant laser diode driver cells, the bypass switch is configured to control a current flow through the inductor to produce a high-current pulse through the laser diode, the high-current pulse corresponding to a peak current of a resonant waveform developed at the anode of the laser diode; and
the damping switch is configured to discharge the source capacitor after each high-current pulse is produced.