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US 9,793,678 B2Granted
Energy ratio sensor for laser resonator system
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsVytas T. Gylys, Andrea Koumvakalis, Gregory A. Needham, Dale A. Holmes
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Abstract
A device includes a first sensor configured to generate a first output signal corresponding to an energy of a portion of a forward beam transmitted by a mirror of a laser resonator system. The device further includes a second sensor configured to generate a second output signal corresponding to an energy of a portion of a return beam transmitted by the mirror. A ratio of the energy of the portion of the forward beam and the energy of the portion of the return beam corresponds to a measurement of a feedback ratio of the laser resonator system.
Claims19
A device comprising:
- a first sensor configured to generate a first output signal corresponding to an energy of a portion of a forward beam transmitted by a mirror of a laser resonator system;
- a second sensor configured to generate a second output signal corresponding to an energy of a portion of a return beam transmitted by the mirror, the forward beam or the return beam generated by a gain medium device of the laser resonator system;
- and
- a controller coupled to the first sensor and to the second sensor, wherein the controller is configured to generate, based on at least one of the first output signal or the second output signal, a control signal to control output of one or more pump light sources,
- wherein the one or more pump light sources are configured to provide pump light to the gain medium device of the laser resonator system, and
- wherein a ratio of the energy of the portion of the forward beam and the energy of the portion of the return beam corresponds to a feedback ratio of the laser resonator system.
3 more elements
A laser resonator system comprising:
- at least one gain medium device including a gain medium, wherein the gain medium is configured to output a light beam by stimulated emission responsive to pump light;
- a plurality of mirrors including a primary mirror, a secondary mirror and at least one fold mirror, wherein the primary mirror, the secondary mirror and the at least one fold mirror form a forward optical path from the primary mirror to the secondary mirror and form a return optical path from the secondary mirror to the primary mirror, wherein the forward optical path and the return optical path include the at least one gain medium device;
- and
- a sensor system coupled to a particular fold mirror of the at least one fold mirror, wherein the sensor system is configured to generate output based on an energy of forward light of the forward optical path that is transmitted by the particular fold mirror and based on an energy of return light of the return optical path that is transmitted by the particular fold mirror.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- receiving, at a controller of a laser resonator system from a sensor of the laser resonator system, at least one output signal, the at least one output signal based on an energy of a portion of a forward beam that is transmitted by a mirror of the laser resonator system and based on an energy of a portion of a return beam that is transmitted by the mirror;
- and
- controlling a component of the laser resonator system, based on the at least one output signal, to control output of one or more pump light sources, wherein the one or more pump light sources are configured to provide pump light to a gain medium device of the laser resonator system.
A device comprising:
- a first sensor configured to generate a first output signal corresponding to an energy of a portion of a forward beam of a laser resonator system;
- a second sensor configured to generate a second output signal corresponding to an energy of a portion of a return beam of the laser resonator system, at least one of the forward beam or the return beam generated by a gain medium device of the laser resonator system;
- a first integrating sphere optically coupled to the first sensor, wherein the portion of the forward beam is provided to the first sensor via the first integrating sphere;
- and
- a second integrating sphere optically coupled to the second sensor, wherein the portion of the return beam is provided to the second sensor via the second integrating sphere,
- wherein a ratio of the energy of the portion of the forward beam and the energy of the portion of the return beam corresponds to a feedback ratio of the laser resonator system.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.