A tunable laser comprising: a reflecting mirror; a partially transmitting mirror; a gain medium; a pair of mirrors surrounding the gain medium, one or two of the pair of mirrors being curved; a pump source configured to energize the gain medium; a first prism and a second prism located between the gain medium and the reflecting mirror; and a linear motor configured to move a movable stage; wherein the linear motor comprises a coil and a magnetic rod, and the linear motor is configured to operate contactless by supplying a current to the coil located in a motor housing, so that the current in the coil interacts with the magnetic field of magnets in the magnetic rod resulting in a Lorentz force that causes a relative movement between the motor housing and the magnetic rod, and a movement of the motor housing or the magnetic rod moves the movable stage; wherein the first prism is configured to receive radiation from the gain medium and disperse the radiation to the second prism; wherein the second prism is configured to receive the radiation from the first prism, and direct the radiation towards an optical element or an assembly of optical elements which is configured to filter the spatially dispersed radiation based on its position relative to the second prism, such that the radiation resonates between the reflecting mirror and the partially transmitting mirror; wherein the second prism is placed on the movable stage such that a desired center wavelength of the laser output from the partially transmitting mirror is obtained by moving the stage carrying the second prism to a position so as to allow a portion of the dispersed radiation having the desired center wavelength to resonate between the reflecting mirror and the partially transmitting mirror; and wherein the linear motor is configured to move the stage to change the wavelength of the laser output by at least 100nm within 1s. a reflecting mirror; a partially transmitting mirror; a gain medium; a pair of mirrors surrounding the gain medium, one or two of the pair of mirrors being curved; a pump source configured to energize the gain medium; a first prism and a second prism located between the gain medium and the reflecting mirror; and a linear motor configured to move a movable stage; wherein the linear motor comprises a coil and a magnetic rod, and the linear motor is configured to operate contactless by supplying a current to the coil located in a motor housing, so that the current in the coil interacts with the magnetic field of magnets in the magnetic rod resulting in a Lorentz force that causes a relative movement between the motor housing and the magnetic rod, and a movement of the motor housing or the magnetic rod moves the movable stage; wherein the first prism is configured to receive radiation from the gain medium and disperse the radiation to the second prism; wherein the second prism is configured to receive the radiation from the first prism, and direct the radiation towards an optical element or an assembly of optical elements which is configured to filter the spatially dispersed radiation based on its position relative to the second prism, such that the radiation resonates between the reflecting mirror and the partially transmitting mirror; wherein the second prism is placed on the movable stage such that a desired center wavelength of the laser output from the partially transmitting mirror is obtained by moving the stage carrying the second prism to a position so as to allow a portion of the dispersed radiation having the desired center wavelength to resonate between the reflecting mirror and the partially transmitting mirror; and wherein the linear motor is configured to move the stage to change the wavelength of the laser output by at least 100nm within 1s.