Optical resonator with direct geometric access to the optical axis

US8988766B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. · DE
• Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Föderung der Wissenschaften e.V. · US
• RWTH Aachen · DE

Inventors

• Peter Russbuldt · St. Blasien, DE
• Johannes Weitenberg · Aachen, DE
• Joachim Pupeza · Munich, DE
• Thomas Udem · Hersbruck, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 21, 2011
• Grant date: Mar 24, 2015
• Expiry date: Dec 21, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S3/0816
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The present invention relates to a stable optical cavity, in which an obstacle is formed or arranged on the optical axis in the form of a through-opening in one of the mirrors or of an input- or output-coupling element, in order to enable a direct geometric access to the optical axis. The mirrors of the cavity are arranged such that a degeneracy of a plurality of transverse eigenmodes of the cavity occurs without an obstacle, by the combination of which an intensity minimum is obtained in the cavity with an obstacle at the position of the through-opening or of the input- or output-coupling element. With this configuration an optical cavity of high finesse which has a position of maximum intensity on the optical axis can be realized.