CN1330061C - Single frequency tuneable laser - Google Patents
Single frequency tuneable laser Download PDFInfo
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- CN1330061C CN1330061C CNB2005100128311A CN200510012831A CN1330061C CN 1330061 C CN1330061 C CN 1330061C CN B2005100128311 A CNB2005100128311 A CN B2005100128311A CN 200510012831 A CN200510012831 A CN 200510012831A CN 1330061 C CN1330061 C CN 1330061C
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- laser
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a single-frequency tunable laser which comprises laser gain media (5), a laser resonant cavity, a pumping source (6), a device and a laser tuning device, wherein the device can make the laser operated in a single-frequency mode. The present invention is characterized in that the laser tuning device is composed of an electro-optic crystal (1) and an electro-optic crystal (2) which are respectively fixed in the resonant cavity, wherein the electro-optic crystal (1) performs a standard function; the electro-optic crystal (2) is used for fine tuning the cavity length of the resonant cavity; two opposite side surfaces of the electro-optic crystal (1) are covered with electrodes (3); two opposite side surfaces of the electro-optic crystal (2) are covered with electrodes (4). The present invention utilizes two electro-optic crystals to continuously and non-continuously regulate the frequency of the laser in a wide range, uses electronic regulation to replace mechanical regulation, and uses optical elements to replace movable optical elements. Thereby, the single-frequency tunable laser can realize the advantages of high tuning speed, high tuning precision, wide tuning range, high output power and high reliability.
Description
Technical field
The present invention relates to a kind of tunable laser, specifically is the single frequency tuneable lasers of two blocks of electrooptic crystals of a kind of usefulness as tuner.
Background technology
Single frequency tuneable laser is a kind of important light source, and it has broad application prospects in fields such as remote sensing, guided missile tracking, optical fiber communication, high-density optical storages, causes people's extensive concern.
Xiang Guan research work has before this:
1.P.A.Schulz on Opt.Lett, delivered the paper that is entitled as " warbled Nd:YAG laser " in 1991 Deng the people, this work LiTaO
3As modulation crystal, obtaining maximum tuning range is the continuously adjustable laser of 12GHz, and the used time of the tuning 1.2GHz of laser frequency is 0.6ns, and power output is 20mW.
2.J.Harrison on IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, delivered in 1992 with etalon and the tuning single frequency laser of piezoelectric ceramic cooperation Deng the people, utilize the change etalon and the way wide region of light angle, the frequency of discrete adjusting laser, utilize piezoelectric ceramic to regulate the frequency that the long way of laser chamber is regulated laser continuously.This laser utilizes the available maximum tuning range of etalon to be 640mW for 50GHz, the peak power output of used time for 5ms, laser.
3. people such as Zhang Jing delivered to be entitled as on Chinese laser and " has solidified single-frequency Nd:YVO entirely in 2002
4Tunable laser " paper.With obtaining the about 100GHz of maximum tuning range of single frequency laser with the similar tuning methods of above-mentioned second piece of article.
In above-mentioned first piece of article, in being housed, two mirror standing-wave cavities of laser crystal put into electrooptic crystal LiTaO
3Realize tuning.Utilize and give LiTaO
3During the crystal making alive, the change of light path realizes tuning in the resonant cavity.Its maximum tuning range is the longitudinal mode spacing of resonant cavity decision, increase tuning range, and it is long to shorten laser cavity.If obtain the tuning range of 100GHz, the chamber of laser is long to be needed less than 1.5mm.Therefore, the tuning range relative narrower of such laser, and also such laser is that the microplate gain media that utilizes an end face to be coated with the chamber mirror obtains single-frequency laser output, the power output of laser is lower.Second piece and the 3rd piece of article use the etalon of adjustable-angle and the frequency that the chamber mirror of piezoelectric ceramic is regulated laser together continuously are housed.Wherein, etalon need be contained on the base that can regulate, the reliability of laser is reduced, and cause the resonant cavity off resonance easily; The displacement and the non-linear relation of institute's making alive of common piezoelectric ceramic, under different voltages, the tuning sensitivity difference; The two is in course of adjustment all mechanical movement, and it is tuning that intrinsic inertia makes this mode obtain fast frequency, and used tuning period is in the millisecond magnitude.
Summary of the invention
It is higher to the purpose of this invention is to provide a kind of tuned speed and precision, the tuning range broad, and power output is higher, the single frequency tuneable laser of good reliability.
A kind of single frequency tuneable laser of the present invention's design, comprise gain medium 5, laserresonator, pumping source 6, the device that makes the laser single-frequency operation and laser tuning device, it is characterized in that described laser tuning device is to play first block of electrooptic crystal 1 of etalon effect and another piece and be used to finely tune that second block of electrooptic crystal 2 of light path constitutes in the resonant cavity by being separately fixed in the resonant cavity one, at two relative side coated electrodes 3 of first block of electrooptic crystal 1, at two relative side coated electrodes 4 of second block of electrooptic crystal 2.The present invention utilizes two blocks of electrooptic crystals wide region, the discontinuous and frequency of regulating laser continuously respectively; Replaced mechanical adjustment with electrical adjustment, with fixing optical element replacement activity optical element, thus the single frequency tuneable laser of realization high tuning speed, high tuning precision, wide tunable range, high-output power and high reliability.
Described first block of electrooptic crystal 1 is to be processed into the optical crystal thin slice that logical light face is parallel to each other.With LiNbO
3Crystal is an example, along optical axis direction (Z direction) sliced crystal, make direction of an electric field parallel with the polarisation of light direction (light is non-ordinary light in crystal) with optical axis direction, optical direction is directions X (or Y direction), when when optical axis direction applies voltage to crystal, crystal refractive index change into Δ n
e=-n
e 3r
33V/2l (V is the voltage that is added on the crystal) is directly proportional with voltage on being added in crystal, and consequently etalon is to the change of the loss of various frequency laser.Etalon is realized modeling by the change to the different frequency optical loss.The free spectral range of etalon is big more, and actual accessible tuning range is wide more.If getting the length of etalon optical direction is 0.5mm, the free spectral range of etalon equals 140GHz, and as the voltage V=4000V that is added on the electrode, distance between electrodes l=1mm obtains Δ n
e=1.08 * 10
-3, because Δ n/n=Δ v/v, to 1064nm light, v=2.82 * 10
5GHz, the change Δ v ≈ 120GHz of frequency.The free spectral range of etalon is exactly the maximum tuning range of laser, and in the laser of tool that settles the standard, the size and the distance between electrodes of voltage are relevant on tuning size and the electrode.The logical light face of etalon can plate the different reflectance coating of index, when reflectivity is high, is easy to modeling; When reflectivity hanged down, tuning process was less to the influence of power output.
Described second block of electrooptic crystal 2 is logical uneven optical crystals of light face or is placed on optical crystal in the light path with Brewster's angle.Purpose is the etalon effect that overcomes second block of electrooptic crystal 2.The change of second electrooptic crystal 2 refractive index changes the light path in the laser cavity, reaches the continuous tuning purpose.Can decide the cutting mode of second block of electrooptic crystal 2 in the reality according to the factors such as electro-optic coefficient tensor sum precision of selecting crystal for use, can be with the cutting mode identical as second block of electrooptic crystal 2 with first block of electrooptic crystal 1.The length decision tuning precision of second electrooptic crystal 2 optical direction and the size of tuning required voltage.In addition, the size of tuning required voltage is also relevant with distance between electrodes.In embodiment 1, the total length of used resonant cavity is 350mm, and the longitudinal mode spacing that is determined by its equals 860MHz, and the longitudinal mode spacing that the scope of frequency continuous tuning equals resonant cavity gets final product.Change Δ L and resonant cavity longitudinal mode frequency interval Δ v that resonant cavity is long
1Satisfy Δ L/L=Δ v
1During/v, frequency tuning range equals the longitudinal mode spacing of resonant cavity, obtain the frequency tuning range of 860MHz, and Δ L should equal 1.05 * 10
-6As to get two distance between electrodes be 1mm, and the distances of two logical light faces are 4mm.Then apply the tuning range that 640V voltage can obtain 860MHz to electrode.If the minimum resolution in applied voltage source is 1V, this example can obtain the frequency tuning precision less than 1MHz.In order to obtain high frequency stability, we can add feedback control circuit in the laser periphery, and the error signal of taking out at laser output is added to LiNbO through feedback circuit
3On the electrode of crystal, the frequency of active stable laser.
The maximum modulating frequency f of electrooptic modulator
mEqual
(L is the length of electrooptic crystal optical direction), if get the crystal of length L=1cm, in theory high tuning speed can reach the 10GHz magnitude.
Described gain media 5 is solid state gain medium, gas gain medium or liquid gain media.This tuner can carry out tuning in the gain transmitted bandwidth of gain media, is not subjected to the restriction of gain media existence.
Described solid state gain medium is Nd:YVO
4, Nd:YAG, Nd:YLF, Nd:YAP or Ti:Sapphire.When gain media is in the laser of isotropic body, shown in embodiment 3, need to become linearly polarized light with the natural daylight that the polarizer produces stimulated emission, could use the optics isolator to realize single-frequency operation.
Described pumping source 6 is laser diode or photoflash lamp.The pump mode of described pumping source 6 is end pumping or profile pump.The use of this tuner is the restriction of Stimulated Light device pump mode not.
It is described that to make the device of laser single-frequency operation be optical-unidirectional device or etalon.Among the embodiment 1,2,3, make the laser single-frequency operation device be the optical-unidirectional device, in embodiment 4, the etalon of tuning usefulness has the modeling function concurrently.
The material of described first block of electrooptic crystal 1, second block of electrooptic crystal 2 is LiNbO
3, LiTaO
3Or KTP.Different electrooptic crystals has different electro-optic coefficient tensors, can select the suitable electrooptic crystal and the cutting mode of electrooptic crystal for use according to the tuning index that will realize.
The single frequency tuneable laser of the present invention's design has been compared following advantage with the similar laser of having reported:
1. element all is in tightening state in the laser cavity, control the operating state of laser by the control peripheral circuit, compare the design of not only having simplified tuning control section with the mechanical tuning device, also improve the reliability and the repeatability of Optical Maser System, and avoided the mechanical adjustment etalon to carry out the off resonance problem in the chamber that frequency tuning causes.
2. carry out frequency tuning with the change applied voltage and overcome the tuned speed bottleneck that inertia brings in the mechanical tuning process, improved the tuned speed of laser greatly.
3.LiNbO
3The change of crystal refractive index and institute's making alive are the linear changing relation, can access consistent tuning sensitivity.
4. this device can carry out frequency tuning in cavity resonator structure, laser gain medium, all unrestricted laser of pump mode.Therefore, the power output of laser is unrestricted, can realize high power output.
In a word, etalon and chamber length regulating device that the present invention makes with electrooptic crystal possess high tuning speed, wide tunable range, high tuning precision, several indexs of high-output power simultaneously, have high using value.
Description of drawings
Fig. 1 is first block of electrooptic crystal, 1 a cutting mode schematic diagram
Fig. 2 is that second block of electrooptic crystal 2 is with Brewster's angle cutting mode schematic diagram
Fig. 3 is laser diode end-face pump " a 8 " font chamber single frequency tuneable laser
Fig. 4 is three mirror ring cavity single frequency tuneable lasers of photoflash lamp profile pump
Fig. 5 is six laser diode side pumped mirror ring cavity single frequency tuneable lasers
Fig. 6 is the single frequency tuneable laser of laser diode end-face pump
Embodiment
Below in conjunction with accompanying drawing the present invention is further specified:
Fig. 1 is a kind of cutting mode that first block of electrooptic crystal 1 can be selected, first block of electrooptic crystal 103 cuts along optical axis 105 directions, the direction 104 of beam propagation is parallel with crystal x direction 106, the direction of electrode 102 applied fields is parallel with optical axis 105 directions, polarization direction 101 parallel and optical axis 105 directions of light beam.The change of refractive index is directly proportional with added voltage.
Fig. 2 is the second block of electrooptic crystal 2 a kind of cutting mode that can select when placing with Brewster's angle, the direction of electrode 202 applied fields is parallel with optical axis 205 directions, light beam polarization direction 201 is in the x-y plane and vertical with optical propagation direction 203, second block of electrooptic crystal 204 is along the direction cutting angled with optical axis 205, light beam is with brewster angle incidence and outgoing crystal, light is propagated along x direction 207 in crystal, and the plane that the plane of incidence of light beam and x direction 207 and y direction 206 constitute is angled.
Embodiment:
Embodiment 4. as shown in Figure 6, the light that pumping source 6 sends incides on the gain media 5 through the shaping focusing system, gain media 5 uses aeolotropic crystals, as Nd:YVO
4, Nd:YAP, Ti:Sapphire etc., pumping source 6 radiative centre wavelengths overlap with the absorption band of gain media 5.Be all-trans film and chamber mirror 10 of the front surface of gain media 5 plating oscillating laser constitutes the resonant cavity of oscillating laser together.The front surface of gain media 5 needs to satisfy simultaneously anti-reflection to pump light, is beneficial to improve coupling efficiency, and in this embodiment, first electrooptic crystal 1 double as makes the device of laser single-frequency operation.Placement surface is coated with electrode 3 in the chamber first block of electrooptic crystal 1 and surface coverage have 2, the second blocks of electrooptic crystals 2 of second block of electrooptic crystal of electrode 4 to be placed in the resonant cavity with Brewster's angle, and the cutting mode of crystal can be with reference to figure 2
Core of the present invention is the tuner of realizing with two blocks of electrooptic crystals simultaneously; a crystal is used for coarse adjustment; another piece crystal is used for fine tuning, and the electrooptic crystal of two kinds of functions of every usefulness is placed on the tunable laser that constitutes in the resonant cavity and all belongs to the scope of protection of the invention.Above listed examples only is the typical case.Be not difficult to find out that by the combination of various various lasers structures, electrooptic crystal type and cutting mode, its execution mode also has a lot.
Claims (9)
1. single frequency tuneable laser, comprise gain medium (5), laserresonator, pumping source (6), the device that makes the laser single-frequency operation and laser tuning device, it is characterized in that described laser tuning device is to be made of the second block of electrooptic crystal (2) that is separately fixed at the first block of electrooptic crystal (1) that plays the etalon effect in the resonant cavity and is used to finely tune light path in the resonant cavity, at relative two side coated electrodes (3) of first block of electrooptic crystal (1), at relative two side coated electrodes (4) of second block of electrooptic crystal (2).
2. single frequency tuneable laser according to claim 1 is characterized in that described first block of electrooptic crystal (1) is to be processed into the optical crystal thin slice that logical light face is parallel to each other.
3. single frequency tuneable laser according to claim 1 is characterized in that described second block of electrooptic crystal (2) is the logical uneven optical crystal of light face or is placed on optical crystal in the light path with Brewster's angle.
4. single frequency tuneable laser according to claim 1 is characterized in that described gain media (5) is solid state gain medium, gas gain medium or liquid gain media.
5. single frequency tuneable laser according to claim 4 is characterized in that described solid state gain medium is Nd:YVO
4, Nd:YAG, Nd:YLF, Nd:YAP or Ti:Sapphire.
6. single frequency tuneable laser according to claim 1 is characterized in that described pumping source (6) is laser diode or photoflash lamp.
7. single frequency tuneable laser according to claim 1, the pump mode that it is characterized in that described pumping source (6) is end pumping or profile pump.
8. single frequency tuneable laser according to claim 1 is characterized in that described to make the device of laser single-frequency operation be optical-unidirectional device or etalon.
9. single frequency tuneable laser according to claim 1 is characterized in that the material of described first block of electrooptic crystal (1), second block of electrooptic crystal (2) is LiNbO
3, LiTaO
3Or KTP.
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CNB2005100128311A CN1330061C (en) | 2005-09-16 | 2005-09-16 | Single frequency tuneable laser |
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CNB2005100128311A CN1330061C (en) | 2005-09-16 | 2005-09-16 | Single frequency tuneable laser |
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CN1330061C true CN1330061C (en) | 2007-08-01 |
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Families Citing this family (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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CN101308989B (en) * | 2008-05-30 | 2011-08-31 | 福州高意通讯有限公司 | Single longitudinal tunable laser |
CN103779776B (en) * | 2013-10-10 | 2017-01-25 | 中国科学院上海光学精密机械研究所 | Seed injection single-frequency pulse laser based on tunable cavity length of electro-optical crystal |
CN104218444B (en) * | 2014-09-22 | 2017-03-15 | 山西大学 | Continuously adjustable single-frequency ti sapphire laser |
CN113078547A (en) * | 2021-03-30 | 2021-07-06 | 电子科技大学 | Single-frequency high-power tunable short-cavity laser |
Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5121399A (en) * | 1989-11-15 | 1992-06-09 | French State Represented By The Minister Of Post, Telecommunications, And Space (Centre National D'etudes Des Telecommunications) | Device for continuously tuning a coherent and rectilinearly polarized light source |
US5623510A (en) * | 1995-05-08 | 1997-04-22 | The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy | Tunable, diode side-pumped Er: YAG laser |
US6044094A (en) * | 1997-03-19 | 2000-03-28 | Inrad | Laser system with optical parametric oscillator |
US6205159B1 (en) * | 1997-06-23 | 2001-03-20 | Newport Corporation | Discrete wavelength liquid crystal tuned external cavity diode laser |
EP1220389A1 (en) * | 2001-09-07 | 2002-07-03 | Agilent Technologies, Inc. (a Delaware corporation) | Optical path length variation for laser influencing |
WO2005062936A2 (en) * | 2003-12-23 | 2005-07-14 | Paxera Corporation | A high performance compact external cavity laser (ecl) for telecomm applications |
WO2005069918A2 (en) * | 2004-01-22 | 2005-08-04 | Vescent Photonics, Inc. | Tunable laser having liquid crystal waveguide |
-
2005
- 2005-09-16 CN CNB2005100128311A patent/CN1330061C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5121399A (en) * | 1989-11-15 | 1992-06-09 | French State Represented By The Minister Of Post, Telecommunications, And Space (Centre National D'etudes Des Telecommunications) | Device for continuously tuning a coherent and rectilinearly polarized light source |
US5623510A (en) * | 1995-05-08 | 1997-04-22 | The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy | Tunable, diode side-pumped Er: YAG laser |
US6044094A (en) * | 1997-03-19 | 2000-03-28 | Inrad | Laser system with optical parametric oscillator |
US6205159B1 (en) * | 1997-06-23 | 2001-03-20 | Newport Corporation | Discrete wavelength liquid crystal tuned external cavity diode laser |
EP1220389A1 (en) * | 2001-09-07 | 2002-07-03 | Agilent Technologies, Inc. (a Delaware corporation) | Optical path length variation for laser influencing |
WO2005062936A2 (en) * | 2003-12-23 | 2005-07-14 | Paxera Corporation | A high performance compact external cavity laser (ecl) for telecomm applications |
WO2005069918A2 (en) * | 2004-01-22 | 2005-08-04 | Vescent Photonics, Inc. | Tunable laser having liquid crystal waveguide |
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