Electro-optical streak camera

• US 4,958,231 A
• Filed: 05/12/1989
• Issued: 09/18/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Original Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Inventors: Tsuchiya, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): BRINICH, STEPHEN M
• Application Number:
  US07/351,159
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 358/211, 358/217, 358/209, 358/218, 358/-229, 250/213 VT
• US Class Current: 348/215.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/42 using electric radiation detectors optical or mechanical part G01J1/04; by comparison with a reference light or electric value G01J1/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2011/005 Streak cameras

Abstract

An electro-optical streak camera including an amplifier for amplifying a light signal under measurement. The amplified light signal is applied to an electro-optical deflector of a photodector portion of the streak camera.

Claims

1. An electro-optical streak camera for measuring a light signal comprising:

an optical amplifier for amplifying the light signal under measurement to provide an amplified light signal;

an electro-optical deflector for deflecting the amplified light signal; and

means for detecting the deflected light signal.

2. The electro-optical streak camera of claim 1, wherein said optical amplifier is a non-resonance type traveling-wave optical amplifier;

and

said non-resonance type amplifier is provided as a semiconductor laser having an anti-reflection film on ends thereof to suppress optical reflections.

3. The electro-optical streak camera of claim 2, wherein said optical amplifier is coupled to receive an externally generated electrical signal for controlling a gain of said optical amplifier.

4. The electro-optical streak camera of claim 1, wherein said optical amplifier is coupled to receive an externally generated electrical signal for controlling a gain of said optical amplifier.

5. The electro-optical streak camera of claim 3 or 4, wherein the gain of said optical amplifier can be controlled to operate said optical amplifier as an optical gate.

6. The electro-optical streak camera of claim 1, wherein said optical amplifier is a Fabry Perot type optical amplifier.

7. The electro-optical streak camera of claim 1, wherein said optical amplifier comprises a DFB laser.

8. The electro optical streak camera of claim 1, wherein said optical amplifier comprises an injection synchronization type amplifier.

9. The electro-optical streak camera of claim 1, wherein said optical amplifier comprises a resonance type optical amplifier;

and

said resonance type amplifier includes a solid laser medium and a laser diode for applying an exciting light to said solid laser medium.

10. The electro-optical streak camera of claim 1, wherein said optical amplifier comprises a dye laser medium;

and

light emitting means for applying an exciting light to said dye laser medium.

11. The electro-optical streak camera of claim 1, wherein said optical amplifier comprises a gas laser medium.

12. The electro-optical streak camera of claim 1, including means for delaying application of the light signal under measurement to said optical amplifier.

13. The electro-optical streak camera of claim 1, wherein said electro-optical deflector is responsive to a trigger signal to deflect the amplified light signal;

and

said streak camera further including means for controllably delaying application of the trigger signal to said electro-optical deflector.

14. The electro-optical streak camera of claim 1 further including:

means for splitting the light signal under measurement into a first and a second light signal part, said first signal part being applied to said optical amplifier;

means, responsive to the second signal part, for generating a deflection trigger signal; and

sweep voltage generating means, responsive to the trigger signal, for generating a sweep voltage for application to said electro-optical deflector.

15. The electro-optical streak camera of claim 14, wherein said detecting means comprises an image sensor.

16. The electro-optical streak camera of claim 1, comprising at least two optical amplifiers;

an optical fiber associated with each of said optical amplifiers for receiving on an input end the amplified light signal; and

output ends of said optical fibers being applied to said electro-optical deflector and arranged in a line perpendicular to a sweep direction of said electro-optical deflector.

17. The electro-optical streak camera of claim 1, further including an optical fiber, said light signal under measurement being transmitted to said optical amplifier through said optical fiber;

a photodetector;

a branching unit interposed in said optical fiber to apply a part of said light signal under measurement to said photodetector, said photodetector generating a trigger single in response to application thereto of part of said light signal under measurement;

sweep voltage generating means, responsive to the trigger signal, for generating a sweep voltage for application to said electro-optical deflector; and

means, coupled between said photodetector and said sweep voltage generating means, for delaying said trigger signal.

18. The electro-optical streak camera of claim 17, further including a slit board, said electro-optical deflector deflecting the amplified light signal over a surface of said slit board having a slit;

and

said detecting means detecting a portion of the amplified light signal passing through said slit in said slit board.

19. The electro-optical streak camera of claim 1, further including a slit board for limiting a portion of the amplified light signal that is detected.

20. The electro-optical streak camera of claim 19, further including:

means for turning on and off said light signal under measurement at a predetermined frequency; and

a lock-in amplifier having a narrow band width for detecting a lock-in frequency component from an output of said detecting means.

21. The electro-optical streak camera of claim 1, wherein said detecting means, said optical amplifier and said detecting means are positioned within an electrically conductive casing.

22. The electro-optical streak camera of claim 1, said detecting means including an image sensor positioned in an image forming plane of said streak camera;

and

a display unit coupled to receive an output of said image sensor.