Optical resonator having acousto-optic output coupling means

Abstract

Abstract DEVICES EMPOLYING OPTICAL RESONATORS HAVING A PATH FOR A RESONANT LIGHT BEAM ARE DISCLOSED. AN ACOUSTO-OPTIC LIGHT FILTER IS DISPOSED IN THE RESONANT LIGHT PATH OF THE RESONATOR FOR COLLINEARLY DIFFRACTING THE LIGHT BEAM ON THE ACOUSTIC WAVE TO SHIFT THE POLAZIATIONOF AT LEAST SOME OF THE RESONANT LIGHT WITHIN THE OPTICAL BANDPASS OF THE FILTER FROM A FIRST POLARIZATION TO A SECOND POL ARIZATION. A POLARIZATION ANALYZING MEANS IS ALSO DISPOSED IN THE RESONANT LIGHT PATH FOR SPATIALLY SEPARATING THE LIGHT ACORDING TO THE POLARIZATION THEREOF AND FOR DIVERTING LIGHT OF ONE OF THE POLRIZATIONS OUT OF THE RESONANT LIGHT BEAM OF THE OPTICAL RESONATOR WHILE RETAINING LIGHT OF THE OTHER POLARI- ZATION IN THE RESONANT LIGHT BEAM. THE FREQUENCY OF THE LIGHT COUPLED OUT OF THE OPTICAL RESONATOR MAY BE VARIED BY VARYING THE FREQUENCY OF THE ACOUSTIC WAVE IN THE ACOUSTO-OPTIC FILTER, WHEREAS THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT COUPLED OUT OF THE RESONATOR MAY BE VARIED BY VARYING THE POWER DENISITY OF THE ACOUSTIV WAVE WITHIN THE ACOUSTO-OPTIC ELEMENT.

Inventors

• 👤 Laurence M Hubby Jr

Bibliographic Details