Rapidly tunable external cavity laser
First Claim
1. An external cavity laser comprising:
- a. a laser source operable to produce a light output comprising a range of light wavelengths;
b. a collimation optical element coupled to the laser source to collimate the light output, thereby forming a collimated light output;
c. a blazed diffraction grating coupled to the collimation optical element and diffracting the collimated light output into a first diffraction order;
d. a transform optical element coupled to the blazed diffraction grating, the transform optical element converting the first diffraction order to position in a transform plane by focusing the range of light wavelengths to the transform plane; and
e. a light modulator coupled to the transform optical element and located proximately in the transform plane, the light modulator comprising an array of light modulating pixels selectively operable in a first mode and a second mode where a particular light modulating pixel in the first mode reflects light along a return path, where the particular light modulating pixel in the second mode directs light away from the return path, and where the first mode is selectively operable to adjust a return path length by at least a half wavelength such that in operation at least one of the light modulating pixels operates in the first mode returning a lasing wavelength along the return path and creating a resonant cavity for the lasing wavelength while operating a remainder of the light modulating pixels in the second mode to direct a remainder of the range of light wavelengths away from the return path.
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Abstract
An external cavity laser comprises a laser source, a collimation optical element, a blazed diffraction grating, a transform optical element, and a light modulator. The laser source produces a light output comprising a range of light wavelengths. The collimation optical element couples the laser source to the blazed diffraction grating. The collimation optical element collimates the light output. The blazed diffraction grating diffracts the light output into a first diffraction order. The transform optical element couples the blazed diffraction grating to the light modulator, which is located in a transform plane of the transform optical element. The transform optical element converts the first diffraction order to position in the transform plane by focusing the range of light wavelengths to the transform plane. The light modulator comprises an array of light modulating pixels selectively operable in first mode and second modes. A particular light modulating pixel in the first mode reflects light along a return path. The particular light modulating pixel in the second mode directs light away from the return path. The first mode is selectively operable to adjust a return path length by at least a half wavelength. In operation at least one of the light modulating pixels operates in the first mode returning a lasing wavelength along the return path and creating a resonant cavity for the lasing wavelength while operating a remainder of the light modulating pixels in the second mode to direct a remainder of the range of light wavelengths away from the return path.
773 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An external cavity laser comprising:
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a. a laser source operable to produce a light output comprising a range of light wavelengths;
b. a collimation optical element coupled to the laser source to collimate the light output, thereby forming a collimated light output;
c. a blazed diffraction grating coupled to the collimation optical element and diffracting the collimated light output into a first diffraction order;
d. a transform optical element coupled to the blazed diffraction grating, the transform optical element converting the first diffraction order to position in a transform plane by focusing the range of light wavelengths to the transform plane; and
e. a light modulator coupled to the transform optical element and located proximately in the transform plane, the light modulator comprising an array of light modulating pixels selectively operable in a first mode and a second mode where a particular light modulating pixel in the first mode reflects light along a return path, where the particular light modulating pixel in the second mode directs light away from the return path, and where the first mode is selectively operable to adjust a return path length by at least a half wavelength such that in operation at least one of the light modulating pixels operates in the first mode returning a lasing wavelength along the return path and creating a resonant cavity for the lasing wavelength while operating a remainder of the light modulating pixels in the second mode to direct a remainder of the range of light wavelengths away from the return path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An external cavity laser comprising:
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a. a laser diode source operable to produce a light output comprising a range of light wavelengths;
b. a collimation optical element coupled to the laser diode source to collimate the light output, thereby forming a collimated light output;
c. a blazed diffraction grating coupled to the collimation optical element and diffracting the collimated light output into a first diffraction order;
d. a transform optical element coupled to the blazed diffraction grating, the transform optical element converting the first diffraction order to position in a transform plane by focusing the range of light wavelengths to the transform plane; and
e. a diffractive light modulator coupled to the transform optical element and located in the transform plane, the diffractive light modulator comprising an array of light modulating pixels selectively operable in a reflection mode and a diffraction mode where a particular light modulating pixel in the reflection mode reflects light along a return path, where the particular light modulating pixel in the diffraction mode directs light away from the return path, and where the reflection mode is selectively operable to adjust a return path length by at least a half wavelength such that in operation at least one of the light modulating pixels operates in the reflection mode returning a lasing wavelength along the return path and creating a resonant cavity for the lasing wavelength while operating a remainder of the light modulating pixels in the diffraction mode to direct a remainder of the range of light wavelengths away from the return path.
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19. An external cavity laser comprising:
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a. means for producing a light output from a laser source where the laser source is operable to produce a range of light wavelengths;
b. means for collimating the light output, thereby forming a collimated light output;
c. means for diffracting the collimated light output into a first diffraction order;
d. means for transforming the first diffraction order from angle to position in a transform plane;
e. means for modulating light in the transform plane comprising an array of light modulating pixels selectively operable in a first mode and a second mode where a particular light modulating pixel in the first mode reflects light along a return path, where the particular light modulating pixel in the second mode directs light away from the return path, and where the first mode is selectively operable to adjust a return path length by at least a half wavelength such that in operation at least one of the light modulating pixels operates in the first mode returning a lasing wavelength along the return path and creating a resonant cavity for the lasing wavelength while operating a remainder of the light modulating pixels in the second mode to direct a remainder of the range of light wavelengths away from the return path.
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Specification