To provide a programmable multi-wavelength light source which emits light of various wavelengths, has a compact form, excellent operation easiness, stability and economic efficiency and which operates an ultrafast, wide band, wavelength variable light source having a wavelength changing rate of a several picoseconds and a wavelength variation region of several hundred nanometers.
A programmable multi-wavelength light source 1 has multiple stages of wavelength variation mechanism which amplifies short light pulses and compresses their pulse width to generate shorter light pulses, and then converts the wavelengths. For example, the light source consists of: a pulse generating unit 2 consisting of an LD excitation pulse light source which generates short light pulses with a relatively wide pulse width; an amplitude control unit 3 which can control the intensity of the pulse light by using an optical amplifier; a pulse compressing unit 4 which compresses the amplitude-controlled pulse light to generate short pulse light having a narrow width; and a wavelength converting unit 5 which includes an optical fiber of a nonlinear medium and can control the center wavelength of the light pulse by using the Kerr effect in the optical fiber.
FUJIURA KAZUO
KURIHARA TAKASHI
Kazuo Abe