Abstract

Traditionally, tuning and line narrowing lasers utilize loss control techniques, most commonly prisms, gratings, etalons, Fabry Perot interferometers or some other form of intracavity filter. An obvious disadvantage of all loss tuning methods, particularly when they are used in conjunction with low gain lasers, is that the insertion losses of the cavity increase with the number of intracavity elements. Consequently, the power (efficiency) of a laser generating a single frequency (single longitudinal mode) is usually only a fraction of total free running power (efficiency). An alternative and more efficient method of tuning and line narrowing of pulsed lasers utilizes injection locking. The laser cavity is injected with photons from another source, e.g., a small narrow linewidth and/or tunable laser.

© 1986 Optical Society of America