Rapidly oscillating laser light source

• US 6,711,187 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2002
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp. (Elevate Entertainment, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp. (Elevate Entertainment, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanner, Allen H., Grapov, Yuri S., Elkins, Dennis F., Farmer, Cameron C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, Jr., Leon
• Application Number:
  US10/127,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20030198262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 372/29.02, 372/6, 372/30, 372/25
• US Class Current: 372/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/06754 Fibre amplifiers H01S3/06708 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1305 Feedback control systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/06216 Pulse modulation or generation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/06832 Stabilising during amplitude modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/06835 Stabilising during pulse modulation or generation

Abstract

A rapidly oscillating laser light source is produced that exhibits extended pulse duration having a substantially uniform amplified output. A pulsed beam of laser light having a given wavelength, frequency, duration and intensity is produced such that the pulse shape is controlled. The pulsed beam is amplified using a fiber amplifier which exhibits inherent changes in amplifier gain at the frequencies of interest. The fiber amplifier is continuously pumped. A feedback signal is provided with the amplified pulse characteristics and is used to adjust the pulse shape of the pulsed beam of laser light before amplifying, such that the intensity is changed over the pulse duration to generate a substantially uniform amplified output during each pulse.

Claims

1. A rapidly oscillating laser light source for use in image display systems, comprising:

a) a pulsed laser light source configured to generate a pulsed beam of light having a predetermined wavelength, frequency, and controlled pulse shape;

b) a fiber amplifier that can change amplifier gain during each pulse and is operatively coupled to the pulsed laser light source to amplify the intensity of the pulsed beam of light to produce an amplified light output; and

c) a control system, operatively coupled to the pulsed laser light source and the amplified output, to measure the amplified light output and adjust the pulse shape produced by the pulsed laser light source to compensate for changes in amplifier gain during each pulse so as to produce a substantially uniform amplified light output.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the pulsed laser light source is a distributed feedback laser.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the pulsed beam of light has a wavelength of 1064 nm.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the pulsed beam of light has a wavelength of 1550 nm.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the control system utilizes feedback information to control the pulse shape produced by the pulsed laser light source.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the pulse shape is rectangular.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a non-linear resonator optically coupled to the amplified output for converting the frequency of the amplified output.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising a feedback mechanism for providing cavity lock within the non-linear resonator.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the fiber amplifier is optically coupled to the laser light source using an optical fiber coupler.

10. A method of producing a rapidly oscillating visible light laser comprising the steps of:

a) providing a pulsed beam of laser light at a given wavelength, frequency, duration and intensity wherein the pulse shape is controlled;

b) amplifying the pulsed beam of laser light; and

c) modulating the amplified pulsed beam of laser light to adjust the pulse shape of the pulsed beam of laser light before amplifying, such that the intensity is changed over the pulse duration to generate a substantially uniform amplified output during each pulse.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of d) converting the frequency of the beam of laser light to a desired frequency using a non-linear resonator.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of e) converting the modulated amplified pulsed beam of laser light from a first frequency to a second frequency.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the pulsed beam of laser light is 1550 nm.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the pulsed beam of laser light is 1064 nm.

15. The method of claim 10, comprising the step of f) projecting the amplified output for visual display.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein step c) comprises utilizing feedback information of the amplified pulsed beam of laser light to modulate the amplified pulsed beam of laser light.