Interferometric filter wavelength meter and controller
AssigneeAxsun Technologies, Inc.
InventorsMark E. Kuznetsov, Peter S. Whitney, Dale C. Flanders
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wavelength measurement system uses birefringent material waveplate, thereby producing a substantially sinusoidal spectral response. As a result, the responses of multiple birefringent filters can be combined to yield a filter system with a periodic frequency response that has an additive wavelength resolution that is spectrally stable. That is, the wavelength measurement system does not have regions where wavelength resolution is degraded. In one implementation, a waveplate system 112 is used, placed between two blocks of birefringent material 110 and 114. A quadrant detector 116 is used to detect the intensities of the resulting four beams.
Claims25
A wavelength detection system, comprising
- a birefringent filter system that applies multiple spectral filtering characteristics to an input beam;
- multiple detectors for detecting the beam after being filtered by the multiple spectral filtering characteristics;
- and
- a controller that determines wavelength of the input beam in response to the relative responses of the multiple detectors.
A semiconductor laser system with wavelength control, the system comprising:
- a semiconductor laser system that generates a polarized output beam;
- a wavelength detection system, comprising
- a birefringent filter system that applies multiple spectral filtering characteristics to an input beam from the laser system;
- and
- multiple detectors for detecting the beam after being filtered by the multiple spectral filtering characteristics;
- and
- a controller that modulates a wavelength of operation of the semiconductor laser system in response to the relative responses of the multiple detectors.
A wavelength detection system, comprising
- a filter system that applies multiple spectral filtering characteristics to an input beam, the multiple spectral filtering characteristics jointly have a substantially stable spectral resolution;
- multiple detectors for detecting the beam after being filtered by the multiple spectral filtering characteristics;
- and
- a controller that determines wavelength of the input beam in response to the relative responses of the multiple detectors.
A method for measuring wavelength of an input beam, the method comprising
- transmitting the input beam through birefringent material;
- transmitting the input beam through two different waveplates;
- transmitting the input beam through birefringent material again;
- detecting the intensity of multiple beams resulting from the input beam;
- and
- determining a wavelength of the input beam by reference to the intensities of the multiple beams.
A wavelength detection system, comprising
- an interferometric filter system that applies multiple sinusoidal spectral filtering characteristics to an input beam;
- multiple detectors for detecting the beam after being filtered by the multiple spectral filtering characteristics;
- and
- a controller that determines wavelength of the input beam in response to the relative responses of the multiple detectors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.