SWEEPING OPTICAL FREQUENCY GENERATOR

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sweeping optical frequency generator which is capable of outputting output pulse trains having a stable optical frequency having decreased errors for a long period of time. SOLUTION: This generator has an optical switch 2 which converts continuous light to optical pulse signals, an atomic oscillator 50 which oscillates the oscillation frequency of a high likelihood ratio and an optical circumferential rotation circuit 3 which is an optical circumferential rotation circuit to circumferentially rotate the optical pulse signals and has an optical frequency shifter 60 for shifting the frequencies of the optical pulse signals and the optical pulse signals circumferentially rotating in the optical circumferential rotation circuit 3 in accordance with the signal outputted from the atomic oscillator 50 and an optical branching filter 33 for emitting part of the optical pulse signals circumferentially rotating in the optical circumferential rotation circuit as the optical pulse trains. The optical pulse signals re shifted in the frequency at every number of times the signals circumferentially rotating in the optical circumferential rotation circuit 3. The optical pulse trains are formed as the optical pulses changing in the frequency to a staircase form at every prescribed period.