US 12,633,716 B2 · Piezo-tuned nonplanar ring oscillator with GHz tuning range and 100 kHz bandwidth

Abstract

A monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator (NPRO) laser with a large piezo-electric tuning range and high frequency slew rate, denoted as a μNPRO, is described. A tuning range of 3.5 GHz with 192 volts applied, corresponding to a tuning coefficient of 18.2 MHz/volt was experimentally demonstrated. This performance was achieved by making the solid-state gain element small, with a small distance between a piezo-electric element bonded to the solid-state gain element and a first lase plane in the solid-state gain element. The entire nonplanar ring lasing path within the solid-state gain element may lie within the half of the solid-state gain element closest to the bonded piezo-electric element. This large frequency modulation span and wide frequency modulation bandwidth, combined with unsurpassed coherence and high power, make this an attractive laser for frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) LIDAR.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A laser assembly having an adjustable output frequency comprising:

a solid-state gain element having four reflective facets, a top face, and a bottom face, wherein the four reflective facets define a nonplanar ring lasing path that lies entirely within the solid-state gain element, wherein the nonplanar ring lasing path defines a first lase plane and a second lase plane;
and
a piezo-electric element bonded to the top face of the solid-state gain element, wherein a distance between the first lase plane and the top face is selected from a group of distances of less than 40%, 30%, 20%, 15% and 10% of a thickness of the solid-state gain element.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Piezo-tuned nonplanar ring oscillator with GHz tuning range and 100 kHz bandwidth

Life of this patent

Piezo-tuned nonplanar ring oscillator with GHz tuning range and 100 kHz bandwidth

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20