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US 4,048,585 AGranted
Tuning type laser oscillator apparatus and laser radar system and laser communication system using the same
AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.
InventorKengo Murasawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a tuning type laser oscillator apparatus, a common dispersion element such as diffraction grating or prism is used with a plurality of laser oscillators so that the same oscillation condition can be established for the respective oscillators by adjusting the angle of the dispersion element. This laser oscillator apparatus is applicable to laser radar and laser communication systems, with simplified structure.
Claims15
A tuning type laser oscillator apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of laser tubes each having a respective optical axis;
- a plurality of reflection mirrors respectively located at a first end of each of said laser tubes;
- first means, coupled to each of said reflection mirrors, for displacing each respective mirror in the direction of the laser tube axis at said first end of which said each respective reflection mirror is located;
- and
- a wavelength selective element disposed at a second end of each of said tubes, opposite said first end, to intersect the optical axis of each of said laser tubes and reflecting a respective wavelength, within a respective range of optical wavelengths capable of being generated by said tubes, back through said tubes along the respective optical axes thereof.
2 more elements
In a laser radar system comprising:
- laser transmitter means for collimating and transmitting a laser beam toward a target;
- detector means for converging said laser beam reflected by said target, for combining said converged beam with a local oscillator laser beam, and for detecting the difference between the frequency of said converged beam and said local oscillator laser beam;
- and
- an apparatus for generating said transmitted laser beam and said local oscillator laser beam,
- the improvement wherein said apparatus comprises a tuning type laser oscillator having:
- first and second laser tubes having respective first and second optical axes;
- first and second reflection mirrors respectively located at a first end of each of said laser tubes;
- first means, coupled to said first and second relection mirrors, for displacing said reflection mirrors in the direction of said first and second optical axes, respectively;
- and
- a wavelength selective element, disposed at a second end of each of said tubes, opposite said first end, to intersect the optical axis of each of said laser tubes and being reflective, along the respective first and second optical axes of said tubes, of a respective range of optical wavelengths capable of being generated by said laser tubes;
- and wherein
- said first laser tube generates said transmitted laser beam and said second laser tube generates said local oscillator laser beam.
9 more elements
In an optical communications system having
- first and second transmitting and receiving stations each of which includes
- laser transmitter means for transmitting a laser beam towards the other station;
- detector means for receiving a laser beam transmitted from the other station and for combining the received beam with a local oscillator laser beam;
- and
- an apparatus for generating said transmitted laser beam and said local oscillator laser beam,
- the improvement wherein said apparatus comprises a tuning type laser oscillator having:
- a tuning type laser oscillator apparatus for generating said transmitted laser beam and said local oscillator laser beam, which apparatus includes
- first and second laser tubes having respective first and second optical axes;
- first and second reflection mirrors respectively located at a first end of each of said laser tubes;
- first means, coupled to said first and second reflection mirrors, for displacing said reflection mirrors in the direction of said first and second optical axes, respectively;
- and
- a wavelength selective element disposed at a second end of each of said tubes, opposite said first end, to intersect the optical axis of each of said laser tubes and being reflective, along the respective first and second optical axes of said tubes, of a respective range of optical wavelengths capable of being generated by said laser tubes;
- and wherein
- said first laser tube generates said transmitted laser beam and said second laser tube generates said local oscillator laser beam.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.