Patent ID: 6259712
Filing Date: 2001-07-10
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
A method for providing stability of a laser, the method comprising:(1) providing a tunable laser capable of outputting a first beam;(2) providing an apparatus receiving at least a portion of said first beam, the apparatus including:(i) an optical interferometer with at least two optical outputs each comprising at least one portion derived from said first beam, the ratio of whose intensities can vary with the tuning of the laser; and(ii) a detector which is optically connected to the interferometer and producing at least two linearly independent signals that depend on the light intensity and the tuning of the laser, which are combined to produce a measurement when sensitivity to light intensity changes is substantially smaller than that of either of the two linearly independent signals; and(3) servoing the laser tuning by reference to fuctuations in the measurement.