Narrow-band laser apparatus

US5559816A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Lambda Physik Gesellschaft zur Herstellung von Larsen GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Dirk Basting · Fort Lauderdale, US
• Jürgen Kleinschmidt · Hersbruck, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 30, 1995
• Grant date: Sep 24, 1996
• Expiry date: May 30, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S3/225
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A narrow-band laser apparatus comprises an optical resonator including first and second reflectors for reflecting radiation, a laser medium for amplifying radiation in said resonator and an etalon for selecting a given wavelength component from said radiation. A polarizing beam splitter is provided for linearly polarizing said radiation and also for acting as an output coupler. In order to obtain very narrow bandwidth radiation of high intensity, a Faraday rotator is provided for rotating the plane of polarization while maintaining the linear polarization thereby allowing a second wavelength selection element (such as a grating) to be efficiently employed to further narrow the output of the laser.