Continuously wavelength-tunable monomode laser source
US6324193A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 19, 1999 |
| Grant date | Nov 27, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 19, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S5/141
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The invention relates to an external cavity, continuously tunable monomode laser source, comprising, in a resonant cavity, resonating at the emission wavelength .lambda.e, a retroreflecting wavelength dispersing device, arranged to produce a selectivity curve with a peak 80 s. According to the invention, additional fine-control means, enable, from the approximate continuous tunability position, to monitor the deviation .lambda.e-.lambda.s during the variation of the emission wavelength ke while preventing this deviation from reaching one of the limits causing mode hopping. Such a configuration enables to avoid imperfections usually associated with mechanical adjustment and to guarantee continuity of the wavelength variation and to compensate for the latter as long as its fluctuations remain smaller than approx. .DELTA..lambda.e/2 where .DELTA..lambda.e is the distance between two successive resonance modes of the cavity.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.