Digitalized scanlaser

Claim 2

An electron beam scanlaser comprising: an angularly degenerate laser cavity capable of oscillating in a plurality of transverse optical modes; a cathode-ray tube capable of scanning an electron beam in proximity to said modes; and means for selecting one said mode for oscillations in said cavity including electro-optic layer means for causing said electron beam to interact with said optical mode, and fly''s eye lens array means having a plurality of lenslets for selectively illuminating said electro-optic layer with said one optical mode via one lenslet thereof.

Claim 3

An electron beam scanlaser as set forth in claim 1 wherein said electro-optic layer is potassium dihydrogen phosphate, KH2PO4.

Claim 4

An electron beam scanlaser as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fly''s eye lens array means is positioned in said laser cavity to collimate said one mode in said electro-optic layer via said one lenslet thereof.

Claim 5

An electron beam scanlaser as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fly''s eye lens array means is positioned in said laser cavity to focus said one optical mode in relationship to said electro-optic layer via said one lenslet thereof to spread out said mode on the surface of said electro-optic layer.

Claim 6

An electron beam scanlaser as set forth in claim 4 wherein said optical mode is focused within said electro-optic layer.

Claim 7

An electron beam scanlaser comprising: an angularly degenerate laser cavity capable of oscillating in a plurality of degenerate transverse optical modes, each said mode corresponding to an output beam of said cavity emanating from a different point on an output mirror of said cavity, polarizer means in said cavity for linearly polarizing said optical modes, bias plate means in said cavity for introducing a given amount of phase retardation between two perpendicularly directed polarization components of each of said linearly polarized modes, an active medium in said cavity for sustaining the oscillation of said modes in said cavity, optical lens means for introducing said angular degeneracy in said cavity, said lens means making said cavity flat-field conjugate; cathode-ray tube means for providing a scannable electron beam; means for selecting one said mode for oscillation in said cavity including a layer of single crystal electro-optic material for introducing via said electron beam a compensating phase retardation to that introduced in said optical mode by said bias plate means, and fly''s eye lens array means having a plurality of lenslets for selectively illuminating said electro-optic layer with said optical modes via said lenslets thereof.

Claim 8

An electron beam scanlaser comprising: an angularly degenerate laser cavity capable of oscillating in a plurality of degenerate transverse optical modes, each said mode corresponding to an output beam of said cavity emanating from a different point on an output mirror of said cavity, polarizer means in said cavity for linearly polarizing said optical modes, bias plate means in said cavity for introducing a given amount of phase retardation between two perpendicularly directed polarization components of each of said linearly polarized modes, an active medium in said cavity for sustaining the oscillation of said modes in said cavity, optical lens means for introducing said angular degeneracy in said cavity, said lens means making said cavity flat-field conjugate; cathode-ray tube means for providing a scannable electron beam; means for selecting one said mode for oscillation in said cavity including a layer of single crystal electro-optic material for introducing via said electron beam a compensating phase retardation to that introduced in said optical mode by said bias plate means, and fly''s eye lens array means having a plurality of lenslets for selectively illuminating said electro-optic layer with said optical modes via said lenslets thereof.

Claim 9

An electron beam scanlaser as set forth in claim 4 wherein said electro-optic material is potassium dihydrogen phosphate, KH2PO4.

Claim 10

Apparatus for controlling the direction of a laser beam comprising: an angularly degenerate flat field conjugate laser cavity for supporting a plurality of different modes of laser beam oscillation; laser beam emission control means including a material exhibiting an electro-optic effect located in said cavity in the path of said different modes of light beam oscillation; means for directing an electron beam selectively onto said electro-optic material for establishing an electric field in a selected portion thereof; lens means in said laser cavity for focusing said laser beams relative to said electro-optic material; and a fly''s eye lens array having a plurality of lenslets arranged in a regular geometric pattern for coupling one of said modes to said electric field in said selected portion of said electro-optic material.

Claim 11

Apparatus for controlling the direction of a laser beam comprising: an angularly degenerate flat field conjugate laser cavity for supporting a plurality of different modes of laser beam oscillation; laser beam emission control means including a material exhibiting an electro-optic effect located in said cavity in the path of said different modes of light beam oscillation; means for directing an electron beam selectively onto said electro-optic material for establishing an electric field in a selected portion thereof; lens means in said laser cavity for focusing said laser beams relative to said electro-optic material; and a fly''s eye lens array having a plurality of lenslets arranged in a regular geometric pattern for coupling one of said modes to said electric field in said selected portion of said electro-optic material.

Claim 12

Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said fly''s eye lens array collimates said light beam oscillations in said electro-optic material.

Claim 13

Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said fly''s eye lens array focuses said light beam in said electro-optic material.

Claim 14

Apparatus for controlling the direction of a laser beam comprising: means for producing an electron beam and controlling the position of said electron beam; an angularly degenerate laser cavity including a plurality of different modes of oscillation; laser beam emission control means located within said cavity including a layer of electro-optic material in the path of said modes and in the path of said electron beam for altering the polarization of one of said modes corresponding to the position of said electron beam and causing said cavity to emit a laser beam at the position of said electron beam; and optical lens means in said cavity for collimating each said mode of oscillation on a different area of a surface of said electro-optic material.

Claim 15

Apparatus for controlling the direction of a laser beam comprising: means for producing an electron beam and controlling the position of said electron beam; an angularly degenerate laser cavity including a plurality of different modes of oscillation; laser beam emission control means located within said cavity including a layer of electro-optic material in the path of said modes and in the path of said electron beam for altering the polarization of one of said modes corresponding to the position of said electron beam and causing said cavity to emit a laser beam at the position of said electron beam; and optical lens means in said cavity for collimating each said mode of oscillation on a different area of a surface of said electro-optic material.

Claim 16

Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein said electro-optic material has a planar surface parallel to a focal plane of said laser cavity and said optical lens means has a fly''s eye lens array with a plurality of lenslets whose focal planes are also parallel to said focal plane.

Claim 17

An electron beam scanlaser comprising a resonator section capable of supporting a plurality of optical modes; a mode selector section having an electron beam means for sequentially selecting said modes; electro-optic layer means for coupling said electron beam with said modes in said resonator section for coarse spatial mode selection; and fly''s eye lens array means positioned between said resonator section and mode selector section for fine spatial mode selection.

Claim 18

An electron beam scanlaser comprising a resonator section capable of supporting a plurality of optical modes; a mode selector section having an electron beam means for sequentially selecting said modes; electro-optic layer means for coupling said electron beam with said modes in said resonator section for coarse spatial mode selection; and fly''s eye lens array means positioned between said resonator section and mode selector section for fine spatial mode selection.

Claim 19

The combination as set forth in claim 13 wherein said fly''s eye lens array means includes a plurality of lenslets for yielding respectively a selected one of a number of discrete modes of said plurality of modes.

Claim 20

The combination as set forth in claim 14 wherein said fly''s eye lens array means is positioned in said resonator section to collimate said one mode in said electro-optic layer means via said one lenslet.

Claim 21

The combination as set forth in claim 14 wherein: said fly''s eye lens array means is positioned in said resonator section to focus said one mode in relationship to said electro-optic layer means via said one lenslet to spread out said mode on the surfaces of said electro-optic layer means.

Claim 22

The combination as set forth in claim 16 wherein said one mode is focused within said electro-optic layer means.

Claim 23

A scanlaser comprising a resonator section capable of supporting a plurality of degenerate transverse optical modes; a mode selector section; electro-optic layer means for producing coarse spatial mode selection; and fly''s eye lens array means for fine spatial mode selection.

Claim 24

A scanlaser comprising a resonator section capable of supporting a plurality of degenerate transverse optical modes; a mode selector section; electro-optic layer means for producing coarse spatial mode selection; and fly''s eye lens array means for fine spatial mode selection.

Claim 25

The combination as set forth in claim 18 wherein: said fly''s eye lens array means includes a plurality of lenslets for yielding respectively a selected one of a number of discrete modes of said plurality of modes.

Claim 26

The combination as set forth in claim 19 wherein: said fly''s eye lens array means is positioned in said resonator section to collimate said one mode in said electro-optic layer means via said one lenslet.

Claim 27

The combination as set forth in claim 19 wherein said fly''s eye lens array means is positioned in said resonator section to focus said one mode in relationship to said electro-optic layer means via said one lenslet to spread out said mode on the surfaces of said electro-optic layer means.

Claim 28

The combination as set forth in claim 21 wherein said one mode is focused within said electro-optic layer means.

Claim 29

Apparatus for controlling the direction of a laser beam comprising: an angularly degenerate laser cavity for supporting a plurality of different transverse modes of oscillation including at least two mirror surfaces; means for producing locally changes in birefringence in said cavity; laser beam emission control means located within said cavity including a layer of electro-optic material in the path of said modes for altering the polarization of said modes for thereby selecting only one mode for oscillation in said cavity and for causing said cavity to emit a laser beam in a corresponding position; and optical lens means in said cavity for collimating said each mode of oscillation on a different area of at least one of said surfaces of said resonator mirrors.

Claim 30

Apparatus for controlling the direction of a laser beam comprising: an angularly degenerate laser cavity for supporting a plurality of different transverse modes of oscillation including at least two mirror surfaces; means for producing locally changes in birefringence in said cavity; laser beam emission control means located within said cavity including a layer of electro-optic material in the path of said modes for altering the polarization of said modes for thereby selecting only one mode for oscillation in said cavity and for causing said cavity to emit a laser beam in a corresponding position; and optical lens means in said cavity for collimating said each mode of oscillation on a different area of at least one of said surfaces of said resonator mirrors.

Claim 31

Apparatus as set forth in claim 23 wherein said optical means includes fly''s eye lens array means in said cavity for collimating each said mode of oscillation on a different area of at least one of said resonator mirrors.

Claim 32

Apparatus for controlling the direction of a laser beam comprising: an angularly degenerate laser cavity for supporting a plurality of different transverse modes of oscillation including at least two mirror surfaces; means for producing locally changes in birefringence in said cavity; laser beam emission control means located within said cavity including a layer of electro-optic material in the path of said modes for altering the polarization of said mode for thereby selecting only one mode for oscillation in said cavity and for causing said cavity to emit a laser beam in a corresponding position; and optical lens means in said cavity for collimating said each mode of oscillation on a different area of at least one of said surfaces of said electro-optic material.

Claim 33

Apparatus for controlling the direction of a laser beam comprising: an angularly degenerate laser cavity for supporting a plurality of different transverse modes of oscillation including at least two mirror surfaces; means for producing locally changes in birefringence in said cavity; laser beam emission control means located within said cavity including a layer of electro-optic material in the path of said modes for altering the polarization of said mode for thereby selecting only one mode for oscillation in said cavity and for causing said cavity to emit a laser beam in a corresponding position; and optical lens means in said cavity for collimating said each mode of oscillation on a different area of at least one of said surfaces of said electro-optic material.

Claim 34

Apparatus for controlling the direction of a laser beam comprising: an angularly degenerate laser cavity for supporting a plurality of different transverse modes of oscillation including at least two mirror surfaces; means for producing locally changes in birefringence in said cavity; laser beam emission control means located within said cavity including a layer of electro-optic material in the path of said modes for altering the polarization of said mode for thereby selecting only one mode for oscillation in said cavity and for causing said cavity to emit a laser beam in a corresponding posiTion; and optical lens means in said cavity for yielding respectively a selected one of a number of discrete modes of said plurality of modes.

Claim 35

Apparatus for controlling the direction of a laser beam comprising: an angularly degenerate laser cavity for supporting a plurality of different transverse modes of oscillation including at least two mirror surfaces; means for producing locally changes in birefringence in said cavity; laser beam emission control means located within said cavity including a layer of electro-optic material in the path of said modes for altering the polarization of said mode for thereby selecting only one mode for oscillation in said cavity and for causing said cavity to emit a laser beam in a corresponding posiTion; and optical lens means in said cavity for yielding respectively a selected one of a number of discrete modes of said plurality of modes.

Claim 36

Apparatus for controlling the direction of a laser beam comprising: an angularly degenerate laser cavity for supporting a plurality of different transverse modes of oscillation, and a mode selector section having electro-optic layer means for coarse spatial mode selection and fly''s eye lens array means for fine spatial mode selection.

Claim 37

Apparatus for controlling the direction of a laser beam comprising: an angularly degenerate laser cavity for supporting a plurality of different transverse modes of oscillation, and a mode selector section having electro-optic layer means for coarse spatial mode selection and fly''s eye lens array means for fine spatial mode selection.