THERMO-OPTICALLY TUNABLE LASER SYSTEM

摘要

A tunable laser has a solid state laser medium having an optical gain region and generates coherent radiation through a facet. A lens collects the coherent radiation and generates a collimated light beam. Components of an external cavity include a reflective surface and an optical filter, the reflective surface reflecting the collimated beam back to the lens and the laser medium, the optical filter positioned between the reflective surface and the lens and having two surfaces with a thermally tunable optical transmission band within the optical gain region of the laser medium. The optical filter (1) transmits a predominant portion of the collimated beam at a desired wavelength of operation, and (2) specularly reflects a remaining portion of the collimated beam from each surface, the collimated beam being incident on the optical filter such that the reflected collimated beams propagate at a non-zero angle with respect to the incident collimated beam.

主权项

1. A tunable laser with a laser output, comprising:
a solid state laser medium having an optical gain region and operative to generate a coherent optical signal through a facet in response to an electrical signal; control electronics supplying an electrical signal to the solid state laser medium; a lens operative to collect the coherent optical signal and generate a collimated light beam; and components of an external cavity including a wavelength selection device and a surface operative to reflect the collimated beam back into the solid state laser medium,wherein the tunable laser is operative to:
(1) use the wavelength selection device to tune to a first optical wavelength to achieve laser continuous wave output at a first wavelength of operation, (2) use the wavelength selection device to tune to a second optical wavelength, the tunable laser continuing to generate continuous wave output substantially at the first wavelength of operation, and (3) pulse the laser medium coherent optical signal to tune the laser output from the first wavelength of operation to a second wavelength of continuous wave operation substantially at the second optical wavelength.