Laser sensor for self-mixing interferometry having a vertical external cavity surface emission laser (VECSEL) as the light source

摘要

The present invention relates to a laser sensor for self-mixing interferometry. The laser sensor comprises at least one semiconductor laser light source emitting laser radiation and at least one photodetector (6) monitoring the laser radiation of the laser light source. The laser light source is a VECSEL having a gain medium (3) arranged in a layer structure (15) on a front side of a first end mirror (4), said first end mirror (4) forming an external cavity with an external second end mirror (5). The proposed laser sensor provides an increased detection range and can be manufactured in a low-cost production process.

主权项

1. A self-mixing interferometric laser sensor comprising:
at least one semiconductor laser light source emitting laser radiation, the laser light source being a vertical external cavity surface emission laser comprising a first end mirror having a front side and a back side, a gain medium arranged in a layer structure on the front side of said first end mirror, the front side of said first end mirror forming an external cavity with an external second end mirror; and at least one photodetector located on the back side of said front end mirror for measuring changes in properties of subsequent emitted laser radiation; and wherein several vertical external cavity surface emission lasers with corresponding photodetectors are arranged side by side and form a one or two-dimensional array, said vertical external cavity surface emission lasers being coherently coupled.