Patent ID: 8942267
Filing Date: 2015-01-27
Classification: B82Y,G02B,H01S

Abstract:
1. A tunable laser with a laser output, comprising: a solid state laser medium having an optical gain region and operative to generate coherent radiation through a facet in response to an electrical signal; control electronics; a lens operative to collect the coherent radiation and generate a collimated light beam; and components of an external cavity including a reflective surface and an optical filter, the reflective surface reflecting the collimated beam back to the lens and the laser medium, the optical filter positioned between the reflective surface and the lens and having two surfaces with a thermally tunable optical transmission band within the optical gain region of the laser medium, the collimated beam incident on each surface of the optical filter, the optical filter being operative to transmit a predominant portion of the incident collimated beam at a desired wavelength of operation and specularly reflect a remaining portion of the incident collimated beam at a desired wavelength of operation, wherein the tunable laser is operative to: (1) tune an optical transmission band center wavelength to achieve laser continuous wave output at a first wavelength of operation, (2) tune an optical transmission band center wavelength to a second wavelength, the laser continuing to generate continuous wave output substantially at the first wavelength of operation, and (3) pulse the laser medium electrical signal to tune the laser output from the first wavelength of operation to the second wavelength of continuous wave operation.