Patent ID: 7460567

Claim:
A system for use in locking a transmission wavelength of a laser beam to a selected wavelength comprising: a laser wavelength detector, positioned along an optical path of the laser beam, for capturing a first portion of the laser beam to detect the power of the laser; an etalon positioned along the optical path of the laser beam downstream from the laser wavelength detector for simultaneously receiving a second portion of the laser beam without any intervening optical elements between the laser wavelength detector and the etalon and for splitting the second portion into a series of transmission lines; and an etalon wavelength detector, positioned along the optical path of the laser beam downstream from the etalon wavelength detector, for detecting the etalon transmission lines; and wherein the laser wavelength detector and etalon wavelength detector are both offset from one another and from a central axis of the laser beam and collectively provide a combined detection area smaller than a beam width of the laser beam.