LIGHT-DRIVEN PHASE SHIFTER

摘要

LIGHT-DRIVEN PHASE SHIFTER A light-driven phase shifter is provided for modulating a transmission light beam. A gaseous medium such as argon is provided with electron energy states excited to populate a metastable state. A tunable dye laser is selected with a wavelength effective to deplete the metastable electron state and may be intensity modulated. The dye laser is directed through the gaseous medium to define a first optical path having an index of refraction determined by the gaseous medium having a depleted metastable electron state. A transmission laser beam is also directed through the gaseous to define a second optical path at least partially coincident with the first optical path. The intensity of the dye laser beam may then be varied to phase modulate the transmission laser beam.