06-10-2017, 01:12 PM
A tunable laser is a laser whose operating wavelength can be altered in a controlled manner. While all laser gain means allow small changes in the output wavelength, only a few laser types allow continuous tuning over a significant wavelength range.
There are many types and categories of tunable lasers. They exist in the state of gas, liquid and solid. Among the types of tunable lasers are excimer lasers, gas lasers, dye lasers (liquids and solids), solid state transition metal lasers, glass and semiconductor diode lasers and electron lasers free. Tunable lasers find applications in spectroscopy, photochemistry, separation of atomic vapor laser isotopes and optical communications.
The first truly tunable laser was the colourant laser in 1966. Hänsch introduced the first narrow-bandwidth tunable laser in 1972. Dye lasers and some solid-state vibrome lasers have extremely large bandwidths, allowing adjustment in a range of tens to hundreds of nanometers. Titanium-doped sapphire is the most common tunable solid state laser capable of operating with 670 nm laser at 1100 nm wavelength. Typically, these laser systems incorporate a Lyot filter into the laser cavity, which is rotated to adjust the laser. Other tuning techniques involve diffraction gratings, prisms, etalons, and combinations thereof. Multi-prism grating arrangements, in various configurations, as described by Duarte, are used in diodes, dyes, gas and other tunable lasers.
There are many types and categories of tunable lasers. They exist in the state of gas, liquid and solid. Among the types of tunable lasers are excimer lasers, gas lasers, dye lasers (liquids and solids), solid state transition metal lasers, glass and semiconductor diode lasers and electron lasers free. Tunable lasers find applications in spectroscopy, photochemistry, separation of atomic vapor laser isotopes and optical communications.
The first truly tunable laser was the colourant laser in 1966. Hänsch introduced the first narrow-bandwidth tunable laser in 1972. Dye lasers and some solid-state vibrome lasers have extremely large bandwidths, allowing adjustment in a range of tens to hundreds of nanometers. Titanium-doped sapphire is the most common tunable solid state laser capable of operating with 670 nm laser at 1100 nm wavelength. Typically, these laser systems incorporate a Lyot filter into the laser cavity, which is rotated to adjust the laser. Other tuning techniques involve diffraction gratings, prisms, etalons, and combinations thereof. Multi-prism grating arrangements, in various configurations, as described by Duarte, are used in diodes, dyes, gas and other tunable lasers.