Frequency Stabilized & Tunable Laser Sources
Frequency generation using optical crystals and applications such as laser spectroscopy place special demands on the spectral properties of the lasers. We realize the appropriate light sources with spectrally stabilized or tunable emission wavelengths. This includes diode lasers in external cavity as well as Master Oscillator Power Amplifier configuration for increased power. We design and realize these light sources using precise microintegration of optical components in a compact design. Thus, they can later be integrated into portable laser systems for various applications, e.g. in biology, medicine, pharmacology, food technology and for traffic monitoring.
Compact diode lasers in external cavity
offer wavelength-stabilized, narrow-band emission even without internal gratings. The collimated emission of an anti-reflective coated diode laser is thereby fully or partially reflected back into the laser via an external grating as a wavelength-selective resonator mirror. By choosing the diode laser as gain medium and the grating properties, this optical concept allows laser light sources for the visible and near-infrared spectral range to be tailored to the requirements of the application. Using beam superposition, we also develop two-wavelength light sources, for example for Raman difference spectroscopy (SERDS).
Widely tunable Master Oscillator Power Amplifier (MOPA)
are developed as hybrid laser light sources with diffraction limited, spectrally tunable laser emission at high optical power. By the choice of the Master Oscillator we can realize single as well as dual wavelength light sources with fixable spectral spacings. The latter can be spectrally tuned over a few nanometers by means of heating elements above the internal gratings of the master oscillators (DBR, DFB). With GaAs-based sampled grating diode lasers, even several 10 nm are possible.
