US 4,601,036 A · Rapidly tunable laser

Abstract

Method and means are disclosed for rapidly tuning a laser over a large number of wavelengths. The means of the present invention includes first and second reflecting means which define the optical resonating cavity of a laser, and further includes a dispersive means adapted to sequentially select and direct one and only one of the wavelengths of light from the beam emitted by a laser's amplifying medium along a path back through the laser's amplifying medium as one of the reflecting means is continuously rotated. One embodiment of the present invention forms the rotating reflecting means as a faceted polygonal solid with at least one face thereof being a Littrow reflective grating. A pulsed laser is adapted to tune to a different wavelength of light each time some or all of the grating faces of the polygonal solid are rotated to intercept the longitudinal axis of the laser. A second embodiment forms the rotating reflecting means from a faceted polygonal solid but reflects laser light from the rotating reflected means to a single stationary Littrow grating. A third embodiment provides means and method of producing pairs of output pulses where the pair members are separated by a short time interval.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A rapidly tunable laser, comprising:

first and second means for at least partially reflecting light, wherein said second reflecting means is continuously rotated about a first axis and said first and second reflecting means define an optical cavitiy;
a medium in said optical cavity which is capable of lasing at a plurality of light wavelengths along a second axis between said first and second reflecting means;
dispersive means for directing various of said wavelengths of light individually along said second axis as said second reflecting means is rotated;
means for exciting said medium to said lasing condition;
means for storing data of possible angular positions, of said second reflecting means relative to said first axis;
means for retrieving selected of said data, wherein said data can be retrieved in any order;
means for determining an angular position of said second reflecting means;
means for comparing said retrieved data to said actual angular position of said second reflecting means;
and
means for activating said excitation means when said actual angular position of said second reflecting means is included within said retrieved data.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Rapidly tunable laser

Life of this patent

Rapidly tunable laser

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16