Patent · US Expired

Narrow linewidth semiconductor laser device

US7471710B2 · kind B2 · utility

8Cited by
5References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 23, 2005
Grant dateDec 30, 2008
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 5, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S5/0654
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A narrow linewidth semiconductor laser device has a semiconductor laser and a low noise current source operatively connected to the laser with the current source being adapted to prevent degradation of the laser's frequency noise spectrum. An optical frequency discriminator provides an error signal representative of the laser's optical frequency and a control circuit has a feedback network that provides a frequency feedback signal that is adapted to the frequency noise spectrum of the frequency discriminator and to the laser's frequency noise spectrum and tuning response. The control circuit also has a sequencer to automatically enable frequency locking of the laser on the frequency reference of the optical frequency discriminator. An enclosure encloses the frequency discriminator to isolate the frequency discriminator from external perturbations. The device provides an improved sub-kHz linewidth and a high coherence while being compact, lightweight and highly reliable, as well as being automatically operated.

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