External cavity laser apparatus, corresponding system and method

Abstract

A laser device (100) comprising: a source (S) of electromagnetic radiation comprising at least one reflective surface (RS), the source (S) being configured to generate a light beam following an optical path (OPa; a dispersion stage (6) located outside the source (S) along the optical path (OP) of the light beam generated by the source (S), the dispersion stage (6) comprising at least one reflection axis forming an angle (theta, phi) with the optical path (OPa, OP) of the light beam and configured to reflect: reflecting at least a first spectral portion of the light beam generated by the source (S) towards the source (S); and reflecting a second spectral portion of the light generated by the source (S) along the reflection axis, where the at least one reflective surface (RS) and the dispersion table (6) form at least one external optical cavity (RS, L, 6) of variable length; at least one collimating lens (C) positioned along the optical path (OPa; OP) and configured to collimate the light beam from the source (S); a collimator module (3) in which the source (S) and the at least one collimating lens (C) are mounted; and an actuator (24) configured to vary the length (L) of the variable length external optical cavity (RS, L, 6). In the device: the actuator (24) is mechanically coupled to the collimator module (3); and the actuator (24) is configured to vary the length (L) of the at least one external optical cavity of the variable-length gain medium (RS, L, 6) by moving the collimator (3).

Description

technical field [0001] The present disclosure relates to external cavity laser devices. Examples of such devices may be, for example, an external cavity laser (ECL) or a long external cavity laser (LECL). [0002] One or more embodiments may be applied in the context of atomic and / or molecular spectroscopy as well as in the context of metrology. Background technique [0003] External-cavity lasers (ECLs)—specifically those with diode lasers (known as external-cavity diode lasers (ECDLs))—are a type of source of coherent radiation that can be stabilized in frequency. [0004] For numerous and / or different applications, such as spectroscopy and metrology of atoms and / or molecules, the above lasers are required to: [0005] - presents mechanical strength properties which will facilitate its long-term use without any intervention on the part of an external operator; and / or [0006] - is tunable in frequency relative to a reference. [0007] Radiation sources (also known as g...

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Problems solved by technology

[0058] Such effects can be reduced by reflecting the radiation emitted by the laser via mirrors fixed relative to the support of the diffraction grating, however, making the mechanical realization of the laser increasingly complex

[0059] In the embodiment of the structure 100b, the mirror 6b coupled in a manner attached to the grating 6a in the module 6ab facilitates obtaining an output beam with a fixed emission axis as the orientation angle θ of the diffraction grating 6a varies, however, while presenting Is a disadvantage - rigid displacement of the emission direction as a function of the orientation angle θ

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