Amplifiers – Parametric amplifiers – Semiconductor type
Patent
1982-08-19
1987-04-07
Moskowitz, Nelson
Amplifiers
Parametric amplifiers
Semiconductor type
372 12, 372 27, 350401, 350405, H01S 311, H01S 300
Patent
active
046564330
ABSTRACT:
A laser amplifier buffer arrangement for selectively switching laser energy in a double pass laser amplifier. The buffer arrangement comprises a wedge of birefringent material which angularly separates incident laser energy into polarized components, and an electro-optic polarization switch which may be selectively controlled to circularly polarize the polarization components of light passing therethrough. A plane mirror is employed to reflect the polarized components back through the switch and wedge. The wedge and switch are aligned in a manner such that an arbitrarily polarized input beam is separated into two orthogonally polarizated components that traverse separate paths through the buffer. The polarized components are reflected back through the switch and wedge by the mirror which is aligned with the normal bisecting the polarization component separation angle. When the switch voltage is off, both polarization components are misaligned with the incident beam energy when transmitted by the buffer, therefore preventing the laser amplifier from superradiant lasing. With the switch voltage on, the polarizations of both polarized components are rotated by 90.degree. in the double pass through the switch, therefore re-entering the wedge with opposite polarizations. Also, both polarized beams will exit the wedge parallel to the incident beam, thus permitting laser amplifier operation. A second embodiment is also disclosed which further incorporates a second birefringent wedge and 90.degree. rotator in conjunction with the first wedge in order to produce a wider beam deflection angle and straighten the beam path. The buffer may also be employed as a Q-switch in a laser oscillator to produce an unpolarized output beam.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3701956 (1972-10-01), Simmons
patent: 3868168 (1975-02-01), DeVeer
patent: 3959740 (1976-05-01), Dewhirst
patent: 3965439 (1976-06-01), Firester
patent: 4198123 (1980-04-01), Kremer
patent: 4305046 (1981-12-01), Flock et al.
patent: 4331387 (1982-05-01), Wentz
J. Richards, "Unpolarized Electro-Optically Q-Switched Laser", 8/81, pp. 1-10, RPT. No. ERL-0213-TR, Austria; abstract and equivalent U.S. applied optics article supplied herewith.
Bespalov et al, "Single-Crystal, . . . Radiation", 12/71, pp. 739-741, Optical Tech., vol. 38, #2.
Dewhirst Donald R.
Franklin James D.
Hughes Aircraft Company
Karambelas A. W.
Moskowitz Nelson
Sternfels Lewis B.
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