Laser system and method

• US 5,095,491 A
• Filed: 04/12/1991
• Issued: 03/10/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kozlovsky, William J., Risk, William P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, Jr., Leon
• Application Number:
  US07/685,306
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• Field of Search: 372/94, 372/108, 372/21, 372/27, 372/92, 372/98, 372/75, 372/60
• US Class Current: 372/94
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3509 Shape, e.g. shape of end face
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/3542 Multipass arrangements, i.e. arrangements to make light pass multiple times through the same element, e.g. using an enhancement cavity
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/37 for second-harmonic generation G02F1/3532 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0683 by monitoring the optical output parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0687 Stabilising the frequency of the laser

Abstract

A laser system uses a nonlinear ring resonator to produce Type-II nonlinear second harmonic generated light. The reflective surfaces of the resonator are all symmetrical with respect to the crystal axes. This allows orthogonally polarized light to be resonated along the same beampath in the resonator without experiencing bireflection.

Claims

1. A laser system comprising:

a first radiation source for producing radiation of a first polarization;

a second radiation source for producing radiation of a second polarization different from said first polarization;

a nonlinear crystal for receiving the first and second polarization radiation and producing second harmonic radiation; and

a ring resonator integral to the nonlinear crystal for resonating the first and second polarization radiation, the resonator having a plurality of reflective surfaces which are symmetrical with respect to the axes of the nonlinear crystal, whereby the first and second polarization radiation is resonated without experiencing bireflection.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second radiation sources are diode lasers.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the nonlinear crystal is a Type-II nonlinear crystal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the reflective surfaces form a paralellogram shaped resonator path.

5. A method for frequency conversion of radiation comprising the steps of:

generating a first radiation beam of a first polarization;

generating a second radiation beam of a second polarization different from said first polarization;

coupling the first and second polarization radiation beams to a nonlinear crystal; and

resonating the first and second polarization radiation beams inside the nonlinear crystal by reflecting the beams off of a plurality of reflective surfaces which are symmetrical with respect to the axes of the nonlinear crystal to produce second harmonic generated radiation, whereby the first and second polarization radiation beams are resonated without experiencing bireflection.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein, the radiation beams are produced by laser diodes.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein, the nonlinear crystal is a Type-II nonlinear crystal.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the reflective surfaces form a parallelogram shaped resonator path.

9. A laser system comprising:

a first laser for producing a radiation beam of a first polarization;

a second laser for producing a radiation beam of a second polarization different from said first polarization;

a nonlinear crystal for receiving the first and second polarization radiation and for producing second harmonic radiation; and

a resonator for resonating the first and second polarization radiation, having four reflective surfaces integral to the nonlinear crystal, each of the reflective surfaces being symmetrical with respect to the axes of the nonlinear crystal, whereby the first and second polarization radiation is resonated without experiencing bireflection.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first and second radiation beams are 995-1000 nm in wavelength.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first radiation beam is 810-820 nm in wavelength and the second radiation beam is 1040-1070 nm in wavelength.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the nonlinear crystal is KTP.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the reflective surfaces are arranged such that the first and second polarization beams travel along a parallelogram shape beam path.

14. A laser system comprising:

a first radiation source for producing radiation of a first polarization;

a second radiation source for producing radiation of a second polarization different from said first polarization;

a nonlinear crystal for receiving the first and second polarization radiation and for producing second harmonic radiation;

a ring resonator arranged around the nonlinear crystal for resonating the first and second polarization radiation, the resonator having a plurality of reflective surfaces which are symmetrical with respect to the axes of the nonlinear crystal, whereby the first and second polarization radiation is resonated without experiencing bireflection;

an optical data storage medium;

an optical transmission means for directing said second harmonic radiation from the resonator to the optical data storage medium; and

an optical reception means for receiving a reflected second harmonic radiation beam from the medium and for providing a data signal responsive thereto.