Tunable electro-optic Q-switch, and lasers using same
US5001716A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 28, 1990 |
| Grant date | Mar 19, 1991 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 28, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S3/115
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A Q-switch for a laser having a resonant cavity including an output coupler, a gain medium and a retro-reflecting mirror is mounted in the resonant cavity between the gain medium and the retro-reflecting mirror. The Q-switch comprises a polarizer and a phase retarding element (such as a Pockels cell) which includes a birefringent substrate for inducing a controllable phase retardation in the cavity mode in response to an applied electric field. A tiltable mount supports the phase retarding element so that the lasing axis lies essentially in a plane of the crystallographic axis 45.degree. from the direction of polarization, and lies at an adjustable angle relative to the crystallographic axis. A control circuit supplies an applied electric field within the substrate having a first magnitude in a first state and a second magnitude in a seocnd state. In the first state, the phase retarding element induces 90.degree. rotation in a round trip for the cavity mode. In the second state, the phase retarding element induces effectively no rotation (0.degree. or 180.degree.) for the cavity mode. Therefore, the resonant cavity achieves a high extinction ratio by proper adjustment of the adjust…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.