Laser wavelength actuators

• US 7,286,577 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2004
• Issued: 10/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Newport Corporation (MKS Instruments Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bookham Incorporated (Oclaro (North America), Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Weizhi, Nguyen, Hoang Tan
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez; Armando
• Application Number:
  US10/976,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20060092996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 372/12, 372/20
• US Class Current: 372/12
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1065 using liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/141 using a wavelength selective device, e.g. a grating or etalon H01S5/146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/143 Littman-Metcalf configuration, e.g. laser - grating - mirror

Abstract

A laser-emitting device may be coupled to an electro-optically controlled wavelength actuator. An electro-optically controlled wavelength actuator may be a holographic wavelength actuator or a liquid crystal wavelength actuator. The electro-optically controlled wavelength actuator may function as a tunable diffraction grating for external cavity lasers.

Claims

1. A laser output device, comprising:

a laser emitting device configured to provide a laser output; and

a holographic wavelength actuator optically coupled to the laser emitting device, wherein the holographic wavelength actuator comprises;

an electro-optic crystal; and

a holographic material coupled to the electro-optic crystal;

wherein one or more properties of the holographic wavelength actuator are configured to be adjusted to select and tune a wavelength of the laser output.

2. The laser output device of claim 1, wherein the laser emitting device comprises a laser emitting diode.

3. The laser output device of claim 1, wherein the laser output device is located in a laser cavity.

4. The laser output device of claim 1, wherein the laser output device is located in a Littman-Metcalf cavity configuration.

5. The laser output device of claim 1, wherein the electro-optic crystal comprises LiNbO₃.

6. The laser output device of claim 1, wherein the holographic material is coupled directly to a surface of the electro-optic crystal.

7. The laser output device of claim 1, wherein the holographic material is coupled to a surface of the electro-optic crystal in a volume configuration.

8. The laser output device of claim 1, further comprising glass coupled to the holographic material.

9. The laser output device of claim 1, wherein the holographic material is coupled to a surface of the electro-optic crystal in a surface relief configuration.

10. The laser output device of claim 1, further comprising at least one collimating lens.

11. The laser output device of claim 1, wherein the one or more properties of the holographic wavelength actuator are configured to be adjusted to select an axial mode of the laser output and an optical path length of the laser output.

12. The laser output device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the adjustable properties comprises an index of refraction of the electro-optic crystal.

13. The laser output device of claim 1, wherein the holographic wavelength actuator is configured to perform as a diffraction grating, and wherein at least one of the adjustable properties comprises a grating diffraction center wavelength of the holographic wavelength actuator.

14. The laser output device of claim 1, wherein the holographic wavelength actuator is configured to perform as a diffraction grating, and wherein at least two of the adjustable properties comprises an index of refraction of the electro-optic crystal and a grating diffraction center wavelength of the holographic wavelength actuator.

15. The laser output device of claim 1, wherein the electro-optic crystal is configured to adjust the properties of the holographic material.

16. The laser output device of claim 1, wherein the holographic wavelength actuator is configured to perform as a diffraction grating, and wherein the electro-optic crystal controls a grating angle of the diffraction grating depicted in the holographic material to select and tune the wavelength of the laser output.

17. The laser output device of claim 1, wherein the electro-optic crystal and the holographic wavelength actuator are configured to actively correct for mode hop in the laser output.

18. The laser output device of claim 1, wherein the electro-optic crystal and the holographic wavelength actuator are configured to stabilize the wavelength of the laser output.

19. A method for wavelength selection and tuning, comprising:

providing a laser output from a laser emitting device; and

selecting and tuning a wavelength of the laser output by adjusting one or more properties of a holographic wavelength actuator optically coupled to the laser emitting device, wherein the holographic wavelength actuator comprises a holographic material coupled to an electro-optic crystal.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising correcting for active mode hopping using the holographic wavelength actuator.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising controlling the properties of the holographic wavelength actuator using the electro-optic crystal.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the holographic wavelength actuator is configured to perform as a diffraction grating, and wherein the method further comprises selecting and tuning the wavelength of the laser output by adjusting an index of refraction of the electro-optic crystal and a grating diffraction center wavelength of the diffraction grating depicted in the holographic material.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising adjusting the properties of the holographic wavelength actuator to select an axial mode of the laser cavity.