Method and device for operating a laser diode
AssigneeAgfa-Gevaert
InventorFranz Kappeler
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Abstract
The invention concerns a method of operating a laser diode (2) producing a beam (9) whose intensity is controlled by a control signal and which is directed along a first beam path (10) at the target surface (5), stray reflections from the target surface (50 which are unstable with respect to the diode (2) in time and/or space acting on the diode (2). An element (19, 28, 31, 37, 38) which is stable in time and with respect to the diode (2) in space is used to feed part of the light emitted by the diode back along a second beam path (11) to the active zone (42) of the diode (2) so that the diode (2) is kept in a state of coherence collapse.
Claims23
In a method of operating a laser diode, whereby the intensity of the laser beam is modulated with an adjustment signal and directed along a path to stock that is to be illuminated and whereby unstable reflections from the stock, acting as a reflector, that disrupt the diode with respect to time and/or space act on the diode, the improvement wherein a component that produces intentional and controlled feedback feeds enough of the light emitted by the diode back to the diode's effective surface along another path to maintain the diode in a state of coherence collapse.
In a device for operating a laser diode, whereby the intensity of the laser beam is modulated in operation with an adjustment signal and directed along a path to stock that is to be illuminated and whereby unstable reflections from the stock, acting as a reflector, that disrupt the diode with respect to time and/or space act on the diode, the improvement comprising means for feeding enough of the light emitted by the diode back to the diode's effective surface along another path to maintain the diode in a state of coherence collapse.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.