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US4637027A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Laser light source device

Assignee: Fujitsu Ltd
•
Filing: 1984-09-26
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Granted: 1987-01-13
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Expires: 2004-09-26
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Abstract

Abstract Disclosed is a laser light source device having a laser and an external resonator, wherein as a base, a Faraday rotator is provided at the laser side front of a reflection plane of the resonator so that clockwise and counter-clockwise circular polarizations which have frequencies slightly different to each other are generated, and if a laser such as a semiconductor laser having an eigen-mode having a linear polarization is applied, elements which rotate a polarization by 90 degrees by one emission-and-return through the element, for example, quarter-wave plates, are arranged, The device does not need a strong magnetic field or a strong electric field, and can easily generate lights which are a constant strength. Thus the device can be miniaturized and a high efficiency obtained.

Inventors

  • 👤 Masataka Shirasaki
  • 👤 Hirochika Nakajima
  • 👤 Yasuo Furukawa
  • 👤 Takefumi Inagaki

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-01 12:21
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/10; G; G01; G01R; G01R33/00; G01R33/02; G01R33/032; G01R33/0322; H01S3/106; H01S3/1066; H01S5/00; H01S5/10; H01S5/14

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 126 words
A laser light source device comprising: a laser having a first end plane and a second end plane, and an external resonator including first and second reflection planes spaced, respectively, from said first and second end planes; a Faraday rotator positioned between said first end plane and said first reflection plane; and means associated with said Faraday rotator for producing a magnetic field therein, said magnetic field causing an effect such that light of clockwise circular polarization and light of counter-clockwise circular polarization will be differently affected upon passage through said Faraday rotator, thereby producing from said laser light source device two light outputs, one of each polarization and having different oscillation frequencies determined by the strength of said magnetic field applied to said Faraday rotator.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 126 words
A laser light source device comprising: a laser having a first end plane and a second end plane, and an external resonator including first and second reflection planes spaced, respectively, from said first and second end planes; a Faraday rotator positioned between said first end plane and said first reflection plane; and means associated with said Faraday rotator for producing a magnetic field therein, said magnetic field causing an effect such that light of clockwise circular polarization and light of counter-clockwise circular polarization will be differently affected upon passage through said Faraday rotator, thereby producing from said laser light source device two light outputs, one of each polarization and having different oscillation frequencies determined by the strength of said magnetic field applied to said Faraday rotator.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 21 words
A laser light source device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said Faraday rotator is a 45 degree Faraday rotator.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 21 words
A laser light source device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said 45 degree Faraday rotator is made of yttrium-iron-garnet.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 21 words
A laser light source device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said Faraday rotator is made of a paramagnetic glass.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 85 words
A laser light source device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the eigen-mode of said laser is linear polarizations crossing each other perpendicularly in the oscillating direction thereof, and said laser device further comprises a pair of elements for rotating a polarization by 90 degrees by one emission-and-return through an element, said elements being arranged with a first element positioned between said first end plane and said Faraday rotator and a second element positioned between said second end plane and said second reflection plane.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 19 words
A laser light source device as set forth in claim 5, wherein each said element is a quarter-wave plate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 21 words
A laser light source device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said quarter-wave plate is made of a quartz plate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 54 words
A laser light source device as set forth in claim 5 wherein said laser is a semiconductor laser including a waveguide, and wherein the sectional area of a waveguide layer adjoined to an active layer of the semiconductor laser is enlarged near the end planes through which the laser light enters and is emitted.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 63 words
A laser light source device as set forth in claim 5 wherein said laser is a semiconductor laser including a waveguide, and wherein a waveguide layer adjoined to an active layer of the semiconductor laser has anisotropic characteristics due to the sectional form thereof so that the refractive index of the transverse electric wave is different from that of the transverse magnetic wave.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 52 words
A laser light source device as set forth in claim 1 or 5, wherein said means for producing a magnetic field produces a magnetic field of variable intensity, and the frequency difference between the different oscillation frequencies of said two light outputs varies in accordance with the intensity of said magnetic field.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3356438A Cited
US3436677A Cited
US3639855A Cited
US4305046A Cited
US4496518A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1990-01-12 1990-07-14 1991-01-13 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1994-01-12 1994-07-14 1995-01-13 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1998-01-12 1998-07-14 1999-01-13 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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