Multi-wavelength tunable laser
AssigneeAmerican Biogenetic Sciences, Inc.
InventorsAndrei G. Zhiglinsky, Alexander M. Izmailov
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A laser capable of generating polychromatic or white light radiation is realized by employing dispersive and reflecting elements as the ends of a simple laser resonator cavity. The dispersive element either solely or in combination with an intracavity lens is arranged such that each wavelength component of the white light radiation is amplified by a different portion of the active medium. More specifically, forced oscillation or positive feedback for each wavelength component is achieved by operating a diffraction grating in an auto-collimation configuration or through the use of a distributed bragg reflector having a spatially varying index of refraction.
Claims43
A laser comprising:
- an active medium;
- means for pumping said active medium to emit spontaneous emission from different portions thereof, said spontaneous emission having a plurality of spectral components;
- first reflective means for reflecting the spontaneous emission from said active medium;
- and
- distributed bragg reflector means having an associated spatially varying peak reflective wavelength profile along a first direction for producing a plurality of optical cavities with said first reflective means along a second direction, said active medium interposed between said first reflective means and said distributed bragg reflector means, said second direction substantially perpendicular to said first direction,
- said active medium and said distributed bragg reflector means arranged such that each spectral component of the spontaneous emission radiation from said active medium is amplified to generate radiation having at least one spectral component.
A laser comprising:
- a linear array of active medium elements disposed along a first direction;
- means for pumping said active medium elements to emit radiation;
- reflective means for reflecting the radiation from said active medium elements;
- and
- a distributed bragg reflector having an associated spatially varying bragg wavelength, .lambda..sub.B, profile along said first direction, said reflective means and said distributed bragg reflector spaced apart from each other to form for each active medium element an associated optical cavity along a second direction, with said linear array of active medium elements interposed therebetween, said second direction substantially perpendicular to said first direction,
- said linear array of active medium elements and said distributed bragg reflector arranged for radiation from each active medium element to be incident at a predetermined angle of incident on a different portion of said distributed bragg reflector such that radiation from said active medium element substantially at the wavelength, .lambda..sub.B, associated with that portion of said distributed bragg reflector is back reflected along said predetermined angle of incident and amplified by the active medium element to produce radiation having at least one spectral component.
A laser for generating polychromatic or white light radiation having a plurality of wavelength components, said laser comprising:
- an optical platform;
- an active medium element;
- means for pumping said active medium element to emit spontaneous emission from different portions thereof, said spontaneous emission having a predetermined spectrum;
- reflective means for reflecting the spontaneous emission;
- and
- dispersive means for reflecting a wavelength component of the spontaneous emission to a different portion of said active medium element for amplification therein, said reflective and dispersive means spaced apart from each other to form for each of said different portions of said active medium element an associated optical resonant cavity, with said active medium element interposed between said reflective and dispersive means,
- said active medium element, reflective means and dispersive means disposed on said optical platform to form a hybrid optoelectronic laser.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.