| CPC H01S 5/0428 (2013.01) [H01S 5/0261 (2013.01); H01S 5/06216 (2013.01); H01S 5/06808 (2013.01); H01S 5/06825 (2013.01); H01S 5/4025 (2013.01)] | 18 Claims |

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1. A pulsed laser diode driver comprising:
a source capacitor having i) a first terminal configured to receive a refresh current and to develop a source voltage therefrom, and ii) a second terminal electrically coupled to ground;
an inductor having a first terminal that is directly electrically connected to the first terminal of the source capacitor;
a laser diode having an anode and a cathode, the anode being directly electrically connected to a second terminal of the inductor;
a bypass capacitor having a first terminal directly electrically connected to the second terminal of the inductor;
one or more switches configured to control a current flow through the inductor; and
a timing and control circuit configured to receive the source voltage and to generate one or more gate driver signals to control the one or more switches 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, a timing of the one or more gate driver signals being based on a voltage level of the source voltage.
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