Rapidly tunable laser

Details Rapidly tunable laser Rapidly tunable laser

1982-09-30

1986-07-15

Scott, Jr., Leon

Coherent light generators

Particular beam control device

Tuning

372108, 372102, 372 9, 372 16, 372 19, H01S 310

Patent

active

046010360

ABSTRACT:
Method and means are disclosed for rapidly tuning a laser over a large number of wavelengths. The means of the present invention includes first and second reflecting means which define the optical resonating cavity of a laser, and further includes a dispersive means adapted to sequentially select and direct one and only one of the wavelengths of light from the beam emitted by a laser's amplifying medium along a path back through the laser's amplifying medium as one of the reflecting means is continuously rotated. One embodiment of the present invention forms the rotating reflecting means as a faceted polygonal solid with at least one face thereof being a Littrow reflective grating. A pulsed laser is adapted to tune to a different wavelength of light each time some or all of the grating faces of the polygonal solid are rotated to intercept the longitudinal axis of the laser. A second embodiment forms the rotating reflecting means from a faceted polygonal solid but reflects laser light from the rotating reflected means to a single stationary Littrow grating. A third embodiment provides means and method of producing pairs of output pulses where the pair members are separated by a short time interval.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3609588 (1971-09-01), McKnight
patent: 4513422 (1985-04-01), Buholz
Osgood, Jr. et al.; "Q-Switching of the Carbon Monoxide Laser", Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 15, No. 2, Jul. 15, 1969.
Kitazima; "Relaxation-Time Measurement of CO.sub.2 Laser by Q-Switching Technique"; J. Appl. Phys., vol. 45, No. 11, Nov. 74.
Lee et al.; "Use of a Tunable Q-Switched, Pulsed-Discharge CO.sub.2 Laser to Study Indiv. Rotational Comp."; Optics Comm., vol 1, No. 6, 1970.
Day et al.; "Investigation of a Q-Switched Pulsed Discharge CO.sub.2 Laser", IEEE JQE, vol. 5; Aug. 1969; p. 423.

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