November 29, 2004 Komaki, Japan -- Santec, a manufacturer of optical components and test instruments for the optical fiber industry, announces the release of a broadband light source, the UWS-1000. This light source emits what is known as "supercontinuum" light and has an ultra-wide output spectrum from 1200 to 2000 nm.
The output has similar properties to laser light and can easily be focused, has a uniform spectral output, and, compared to conventional broadband sources, has a high optical power density, the company claims. The power density is greater than -30 dBm/nm.
The UWS-1000 uses three key technologies. First is a new type of pulsed laser, called a quasi-mode synchronous fiber-laser, which provides stable, short optical pulses even at high output powers. Second is a technology that generates an ultra-broad spectrum by passing an optical pulse through a special nonlinear fiber. Third, a specially developed "balanced filter" feedback loop is used to continuously monitor the output and ensure long-term stability (<+/- 0.1 dB) of the light emission.
The UWS-1000 is particularly suitable for applications such as fiber-optic component characterization, optical coherence tomography (OCT), spectroscopy, interferometry, and remote sensing. It will be available in January 2005
Basic specs include an optical spectrum range from 1200-2000 nm, a spectral power density of > -30 dBm/nm, coherence length of < 4 microns, and a size (WxHxD) of 443x132x400 mm.