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Swept-wavelength tunable lasers and booster optical amplifiers

All standard products

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Tunable lasers and boosters

Swept-wavelength tunable lasers

Tunable external cavity lasers (TECL series, shown in the picture) and tunable ring cavity lasers (TRCL series) are small-sized tunable lasers, based on semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA). A narrow-band acousto-optical tunable filter (AOTF) is used for both series as a spectrally selective element. AOTF is a temperature stabilized element, with no moving parts, what ensures excellent stability and repeatability of the set wavelength and the tuning range in time. The emission linewidth does not exceed 0.05 nm (FWHM) and the output optical power is 3 mW over the entire tuning range for both devices.

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Tunable lasers and boosters

Swept-wavelength tunable lasers (continued)

The TRCL series is shown in the picture.

Tuning range and sweep speed are user-adjustable parameters in our lasers. The lasers can operate in single sweep and continuous sweep modes, or emit light at a user-configurable wavelength.

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Tunable lasers and boosters

Booster optical amplifiers

Laser output power can be further increased by using the booster optical amplifier units (BST series, shown in the picture) based on semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA). Depending on the spectral range at which the seed laser operates, power boosting up to 20 – 50 mW, and for certain models even up to 100 mW is possible.

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Tunable lasers and boosters

CSTL system with ultra-wide tuning range

The Combined Swept-wavelength Tunable Laser (CSTL) system (shown in the picture) has been designed for applications that require wavelength scanning over a wide spectral range unachievable by a single conventional tunable laser. A typical example is the measurement of basic operating parameters (transmission, loss, etc.) of sophisticated optical elements – fiber-optic splitters, isolators, fiber Bragg gratings, optical multiplexers and others. Another example is UHR full-field SS OCT, where the wavelength tuning determines the depth resolution provided by the method. Obtaining the desired spectral range may require a combination of several tunable lasers, each covering a portion of the total spectral range. In addition to wide tuning range requirement, the tuning speed must be fast enough to provide the required data acquisition speed and the optical power must be rather high to have a high signal-to-noise ratio.

The CSTL system is the answer to all these challenges. This system utilizes two synchronized swept-wavelength tunable lasers (TRCL series) operating in adjacent or partly overlapping tuning ranges. The lasers are connected through a broadband optical coupler to a single PM fiber.

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Tunable lasers and boosters

Features

  • high stability and repeatability of the wavelength
  • no mechanically moving components in the optical design
  • tuning range up to 75 nm (user-adjustable)
  • linear k(t) sweep
  • output power of 3 mW
  • optical power boosting up to 100 mW
  • compact and easy to operate
  • control interfaces: USB, TTL on/off
  • easy integration into users' equipment
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Tunable lasers and boosters

Applications

  • spectroscopy and interferometry of various types
  • full field OCT and 3D microscopy
  • industrial OCT
  • testing of optical components (splitters, photodiodes, FBGs, etc.)
  • optical sensing, including FBG
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Tunable lasers and boosters

Spectral ranges

Swept-wavelength tunable lasers and booster optical amplifiers at 770 – 825 nm, 805 – 880 nm, 880 – 995 nm, and 1020 – 1090 nm spectral ranges are available.

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Tunable lasers and boosters

Swept-wavelength tunable laser models

Below are the specifications of standard models of swept-wavelength tunable lasers.

Table 1

Parameter Units TECL790.55-3
TRCL790.55-3		 TECL840.75-3
TRCL840.75-3		 TRCL840.40-10 TECL930.115-3
TRCL930.115-3		 TECL1060.70-3
TRCL1060.70-3
Wavelength tuning range nm 770 – 825 805 – 880 820 – 860a 880 – 995 1020 – 1090
Output optical power mW 3 3 10a 3 3
Fiber type PANDA PM 850 PANDA PM 850 PANDA PM 850 PANDA PM 850 PANDA PM 980
aA model providing 20 mW output power with 825 – 850 nm tunability is available on request.

Table 2

Parameter Units All models
Power change over the tuning range % ±10
Tuning/sweep speed (changeable) nm/s 1 – 10000
Tuning/sweep speed setting accuracy nm/s 1
Minimum tuning range (continuous tuning, changeable) nm 5
Linewidth (FWHM) nm ≤ 0.05b
Wavelength setting accuracy nm 0.01
Peak-to-ASE excess, any wavelength within the tuning range dB > 30 (TECL)
> 60 (TRCL)
Signal-to-ASE ratio (integral), any wavelength within the tuning range rel. units > 9:1 (TECL)
> 99:1 (TRCL)
Output PER dB ≥ 15
Output optical connector FC/APC, narrow key (2.0 mm)
Operation modes
  1. Manual wavelength tuning
  2. Wavelength sweeping, internal triggering
  3. Wavelength sweeping, external triggering
  4. Single sweep
Working fiber axis Slow axis, aligned to the connector key
Optical output Through FC/APC mating sleeve
Supply voltage VDC +12
Supply current A 1.5
Interface for Remote Operation USB
Sweep synch signal TTL-compatible pulses
Operating temperature range °C +15 to +35
Storage temperature range °C 0 to +40
Outline dimensions (W × H × D) mm 110 × 41 × 190 (TECL)
110 × 75 × 230 (TRCL)
Weight kg 1.5 (TECL)
2.5 (TRCL)
bBuilding a version of TRCL840.75-3 with ≤ 0.005 nm linewidth is possible on request (805 – 880 nm tunability). In this case, only continuous sweep mode of operation at a factory-set fixed sweep speed is available.
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Tunable lasers and boosters

Booster optical amplifier models

Below are the specifications of standard models of booster optical amplifiers.

Table 3

Parameter Units BST790.55-20 BST840.75-20 BST840.50-50 BST840.30-100 BST930.115-20 BST1060.70-20
Central wavelength nm 790 ± 5 840 ± 5 840 ± 5 840 ± 5 935 ± 5 1055 ± 5
Gain bandwidth nm 55 ± 2 75 ± 2 50 ± 2 30 ± 2 115 ± 2 70 ± 2
Output optical power mW 20 20 50 100 20 20
Fiber type PANDA PM 850 PANDA PM 850 PANDA PM 850 PANDA PM 850 PANDA PM 850 PANDA PM 980

Table 4

Parameter Units All models
Input optical power mW 1.5
Peak-to-ASE excess, any wavelength within the tuning range dB > 20 (with TECL as a seed laser)
> 30 (with TRCL as a seed laser)
Signal-to-ASE ratio (integral), any wavelength within the gain bandwidth rel. units > 2:3 (with TECL as a seed laser)
> 9:1 (with TRCL as a seed laser)
Output PER dB ≥ 15
Optical connectors FC/APC, narrow key (2.0 mm)
Supply voltage VDC +12
Supply current A 1.5
Operating temperature range °C −5 to +50
Storage temperature range °C −40 to +85
Outline dimensions (W × H × D) mm 110 × 31 × 190
Weight kg 1
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Tunable lasers and boosters

CSTL system models

Below are the specifications of standard models of the CSTL system.

Table 5

Parameter Units CSTL825.110-1 (without boosters)
CSTL825.110-1-B (with boosters) 		CSTL900.190-1 (without boosters)
CSTL900.190-1-B (with boosters)
Center wavelength nm 825 900
Entire tuning range nm 770 – 880 805 – 995

Table 6

Parameter Units All models
Number of lasers1 2
Minimum tuning range2 nm 10
Output power mW 1
73
Linewidth (FWHM) nm ≤ 0.05
Power change over tuning range % ±10
Laser switching delay (min.) μs 200
Tuning speed (changeable) nm/s 1-10000
Output PER4 dB > 15
Peak-to-ASE excess, any wavelength within the entire tuning range dB > 50
> 303
Signal-to-ASE ratio (integral), any wavelength within the entire tuning range dB > 99:1
> 9:13
Fiber type PANDA PM 850
Optical connector FC/APC (narrow key)
Working fiber axis Slow5
Interface USB
Supply voltage VDC +12
Supply current A 3
Operating temperature range °C +15 to +35
Storage temperature range °C 0 to +40
Relative humidity, non-condensing % < 90
Dimensions (W × H × D) mm 110 × 75 × 230 (laser)
110 × 31 × 190 (booster)
Weight kg 5
76
1Both are ring-cavity lasers (TRCL series).
2The tuning range of each laser in the combination can be adjusted by the user (downwards only). By default, the tuning range is set to the maximum value. The minimum value of the tuning range for each laser is 5 nm.
3At the output of an optical booster (optional). If the optical boosters are required, the suffix “-B” must be added to the end of the P/N, e.g. CSTLL825.110-1-B, CSTL900.190-1-B.
4Measured at the output of the supplied optical cable.
5Aligned to the connector key.
67 kg with the optical power boosters (optional).
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Tunable lasers and boosters

Typical performance examples

Below are typical performance examples for standard models of swept-wavelength tunable lasers and booster optical amplifiers.

Optical spectra for TECL series (for TECL840.75-3)

Optical spectra for TECL series (for TECL840.75-3)

Optical spectra for TRCL series (for TRCL840.75-3)

Optical spectra for TRCL series (for TRCL840.75-3)

Typical coherence function (for TECL840 and TRCL840)

Typical coherence function (for TECL840 and TRCL840)

Long term wavelength stability (no warm-up, 22 ± 2 °C ambient, for TECL840 and TRCL840)

Long term wavelength stability (for TECL840 and TRCL840)
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Tunable lasers and boosters

More detailed and customized specifications

If you need more detailed specifications for any part number (P/N) in the tables above, or if you need customized specifications, please contact us at enquiries@sldsources.com.

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Tunable lasers and boosters

Additional Resources

Product Information Sheets

Dimensional drawings

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