Back to results
US 6,724,797 B2Granted
External cavity laser with selective thermal control
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorAndrew Daiber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A laser apparatus wherein a gain medium and an optical output assembly are mounted on a common, thermally conductive substrate which provides selective thermal control of the gain medium and output components on the substrate while avoiding unnecessary thermal control of other laser components, and methods for selectively cooling a gain medium and output components of a laser apparatus.
Claims29
A laser apparatus comprising:
- a gain medium having first and second output facets;
- a reflector, said reflector and said second output facet defining an external cavity;
- an optical output assembly optically coupled to said second output facet;
- a first thermally conductive substrate, said gain medium and said optical output assembly mounted on said first thermally conductive substrate;
- a thermoelectric controller joined to said first thermally conductive substrate, said gain medium and said optical output assembly configured to be thermally controlled by said thermoelectric controller via thermal conduction through said first substrate;
- and
- said reflector mounted on a second substrate, said second substrate thermally isolated from said first thermally conductive substrate and thermally controlled independently from said first thermally conductive substrate.
4 more elements
An external cavity laser apparatus comprising:
- a gain medium having first and second output facets, said gain medium to emit a first coherent beam from said first output facet along a first optical path and a second coherent beam from said second output facet along a second optical path;
- an end mirror positioned in said first optical path, said end mirror and said second output facet defining an external cavity;
- an optical output assembly positioned in said second optical path;
- a first thermally conductive substrate, said gain medium and said optical output assembly mounted on said first thermally conductive substrate;
- a thermoelectric controller joined to said first thermally conductive substrate, said gain medium and said optical output assembly thermally coupled to said thermoelectric controller by said first thermally conductive substrate;
- said end mirror mounted on a second substrate, said second substrate thermally isolated from said first thermally conductive substrate and thermally controlled independently from said first thermally conductive substrate;
- and
- a grid etalon mounted on said second substrate and positioned in said first optical path between said first output facet and said end mirror.
5 more elements
An external cavity laser apparatus comprising:
- a gain medium having first and second output facets, said gain medium emitting a first coherent beam from said first output facet along a first optical path and a second coherent beam from said second output facet along a second optical path;
- an end mirror positioned in said first optical path, said end mirror and said second output facet defining an external cavity;
- an optical output assembly positioned in said second optical path;
- a first thermally conductive substrate, said gain medium and said optical output assembly mounted on said first thermally conductive substrate;
- a first thermoelectric controller joined to said first thermally conductive substrate, said gain medium and said optical output assembly thermally coupled to said first thermoelectric controller by said first thermally conductive substrate;
- and
- said end mirror mounted on a second substrate thermally isolated from said first thermally conductive substrate and thermally controlled by a second thermoelectric controller coupled to said second substrate.
4 more elements
A laser apparatus comprising:
- a gain medium having first and second output facets;
- an end mirror optically coupled said first output facet;
- an optical output assembly optically coupled to said second output facet;
- a first substrate, said first substrate being thermally conductive, said gain medium and said optical output assembly mounted on said first substrate;
- a thermoelectric controller joined to said first substrate, said gain medium and said optical output assembly configured to be thermally controlled by said thermoelectric controller via thermal conduction through said first substrate;
- and
- a second substrate, said end mirror positioned on said second substrate and thermally controlled independently from said first substrate.
4 more elements
A laser apparatus, comprising:
- a gain medium;
- a reflector, said reflector and an output facet of said gain medium defining a laser cavity;
- an optical output assembly optically coupled to said gain medium, the optical output assembly to optically couple an optical signal from the output facet of the gain medium to an optical fiber, the optical output assembly comprising:
- a collimating lens optically coupled to said output facet of said gain medium;
- and
- a fiber focus lens optically coupled between said collimating lens and said optical fiber;
- and
- means for providing selective thermal control to said optical output assembly independently from said reflector.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.