US3581228A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Simultaneous transverse and longitudinal mode locking in a laser employing an active absorption cell
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1968-06-18
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Granted: 1971-05-25
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Expires: 1988-06-18
Abstract
Abstract A laser that oscillates in multiple transverse and longitudinal modes is pulsed by a mutual adaptation of an absorption cell having a substantially matching absorption line and the other components of the laser to phase-lock simultaneously the traverse and longitudinal modes of the laser by saturable absorption. Simultaneous locking is accomplished provided that the laser resonator is designed such that the longitudinal mode separation frequency is an integral multiple of the transverse mode separation frequency.
Inventors
- 👤 Peter W Smith
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 22:24
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/10; H01S3/11; H01S3/1106; H01S3/1109; H01S3/05; H01S3/08; H01S3/08018; H01S3/0804; H01S3/0805; H01S3/106; H01S3/1061
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
21 words
The optical apparatus of claim 1 wherein said resonator comprises concave reflectors of radii R1 and R2 and satisfying the relationship
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
89 words
The optical apparatus of claim 1 in combination with means for providing in said absorbing medium a population of the lower of the two levels greater than the population of the upper of the two levels by an amount still permitting laser oscillation, said cell being disposed and mutually adapted with respect to the other components of said laser to absorb energy from a pulse of said radiation and then return the energy to said pulse at least once for every two passes of said pulse through said cell.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
Optical apparatus according to claim 1 in which electric field strengths and electric dipole moments in the absorption medium are mutually adjusted for 2 pi pulse operation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
Optical apparatus according to claim 1 in which the mutual adaptation of the absorption cell and the other components of the laser comprises a gaseous absorbing medium, said absorbing medium having a pressure equal to or less than a value providing a homogeneous dephasing lifetime greater than the pulse width.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
99 words
Optical apparatus according to claim 5 in which the mutual adaptation of the cell and the other components of the laser include means within the laser for providing an electric field strength of the radiation in said active absorption cell medium that is adjusted relative to the field strength of said radiation in the laser active medium and the electric dipole moments of said media for 2 pi pulse operation, whereby the absorption cell absorbs energy from said radiation and then returns the absorbed energy to said radiation during every single pass of said radiation through said absorption cell.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
Optical apparatus according to claim 6 in which the electric field strength providing means comprises at least one lens disposed between the laser active gain medium and the active absorption cell medium to focus the radiation in said active absorption cell medium to a cross-sectional diameter sufficient to obtain 2 pi pulse operation.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
76 words
Optical apparatus according to claim 6 in which the electric field strength providing means includes an adaptation of the resonating means in which focusing reflectors produce a beam of said radiation having a first diameter in a first locality and a second diameter in a second locality, the electric field strength providing means further comprising disposition of the laser active gain medium in the first locality and the active absorption cell medium in the second locality.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3321714A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-05-24 | 1974-11-23 | 1975-05-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-05-24 | 1978-11-23 | 1979-05-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-05-24 | 1982-11-23 | 1983-05-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |