Extended multiply folded optical paths
AssigneeTechnology Development Corporation
InventorArmando Cantoni
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A waveguide carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2) laser includes a six-sided laser block comprising first and second triangular end sections and a rectangular insert block. The two triangular end sections include a waveguide grid comprising two sets of parallel waveguide channels intersecting at right angles and optically coupled by strip mirrors disposed along the edges of the triangular sections. The rectangular insert block also includes a set of parallel waveguide channels which are congruent with and aligned parallel to the waveguide channels of the two triangular end sections, thereby extending the cavity length of a multiply folded waveguide laser without a corresponding increase in the number of optical folds, the number of folding mirrors, or the value of distributed loss.
Claims17
An optical apparatus comprising:
- (a) an active medium supporting laser action within a polygonal optical cavity;
- (b) a plurality of mirrors disposed to form the polygonal optical cavity including at least four mirrors forming at least two oblique pairs of mirrors;
- (c) means for guiding optical radiation generated within the optical cavity into each of the mirrors forming a multiply folded optical path;
- and
- (d) at least one insert block having a plurality of linear waveguides channels disposed between oblique pairs of mirrors to form an extended optical cavity.
A process for extending a multiply folded optical path in an optical cavity which comprises:
- (a) providing a plurality of mirrors disposed within the laser cavity including at least a first and a second mirror, the second mirror being oblique to the first mirror, the first and second mirrors being disposed about an area extending in two dimensions, each mirror having a reflective surface, the plurality of reflective surfaces forming a combined reflective surface;
- (b) directing optical radiation into the first and second mirrors defining the multiply folded optical path;
- and
- (c) expanding the multiply folded optical path without increasing the combined reflective surface.
An optical apparatus comprising:
- (a) an active medium supporting laser action within a polygonal optical cavity;
- (b) a plurality of mirrors disposed to form the polygonal optical cavity including at least four mirrors disposed to form at least a first and a second oblique pair of mirrors;
- (c) means for guiding optical radiation generated within the optical cavity into each of the mirrors forming a multiply folded optical path;
- and
- (d) at least two insert blocks each having a plurality of linear waveguide channels, a first insert block disposed between the first pair of oblique mirrors and a second insert block disposed between the second pair of oblique mirrors, thereby forming an extended optical cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.