POLARIZING LASER MIRROR

• US 3,617,938 A
• Filed: 05/04/1970
• Issued: 11/02/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Louis J. Denes, Patrick C. Ward
• Original Assignee: Louis J. Denes, Patrick C. Ward
• Inventors: Denes, Louis J., Ward, Patrick C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sikes, William L.
• Application Number:
  US05/034,234
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 331/94.5 350/147,162
• US Class Current: 372/99
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/08054 Passive cavity elements acting on the polarization, e.g. a polarizer for branching or walk-off compensation quarter-wave plates in a Q-switch laser H01S3/1124, H01S3/115
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/08068 Holes; Stepped surface; Special cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/10061 Polarization control

Abstract

The surface of a laser mirror is formed with grooves to induce polarization of a laser energy incident therein, the plane of polarization being selective and reproducible. The dimensions and spacing of the grooves are a function of the wavelength of the laser energy.

Claims

2. The cavity according to claim 1 wherein each of said grooves has a width no greater than one-half of said wavelength and a depth of no less than two wavelengths.

3. The cavity according to claim 2 wherein each of said grooves has a width no greater than one-quarter of said wavelength and a depth no less than five wavelengths.

4. In a carbon dioxide laser optical cavity providing an output beam of laser energy and including at least an output coupling mirror and a second, fully reflecting mirror, said mirrors having a lasing medium disposed therebetween and forming a laser oscillator region, the improvement in said reflecting mirror comprising:

said reflecting mirror having a plurality of parallel grooves formed in the surface thereof, said grooves having a total cumulative length greater than twice the diameter of the lasing mode of said output beam, a width of approximately 4 microns, a depth of approximately 25 microns and minimum spacing between parallel grooves of approximately 1000 microns.

5. An optical cavity according to claim 1 wherein the total length of said grooves is at least twice the diameter of the lasing mode of said laser beam at the surface of said second mirror.