Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for adjusting external-cavity lasers

US7286579B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
12References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 10, 2006
Grant dateOct 23, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 10, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S3/105
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Adjustment of a tunable external-cavity laser is simplified by incorporating a mount that includes a base, a main body, a reflecting surface, a diffracting surface and a hinge coupling the main body to the base. The laser additionally includes a light source, a converging lens located to receive light from the light source, a tuning mirror and a pivoting arm on which the tuning mirror is mounted. The main body is bounded in part by two plane, external surfaces orthogonal to a common reference plane and angularly separated from one another by an angle. The reflecting surface has a spatial orientation defined by one of the external surfaces and is arranged to receive light from the lens. The diffracting surface has a spatial orientation defined by the other of the external surfaces, and diffracts light received from the reflecting surface towards the tuning mirror. The hinge is located opposite the angle and parallel to the reference plane.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.