Claims
- 1. A laser beam altering optical device, comprising:
a mode controlling device for capturing a highly divergent, multi-mode laser beam received from a high-power broad area laser source, wherein the mode controlling device comprises an external optical reflector having a curved intensity profile promoting cavity for receiving the multi-mode laser beam, wherein the cavity comprises a focal length from the cavity surface, wherein the laser source is positioned at the focal distance from the cavity surface, and wherein a narrow, single-mode laser beam is produced by the mode controlling device; and a frequency-altering device for receiving the single-mode laser beam, the frequency-altering device configured to produce a frequency-altered laser light.
- 2. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the frequency-altered laser light has a wavelength approximate to 490 nm.
- 3. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the frequency-altered laser light has a wavelength approximate to 532 nm.
- 4. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the optical device further comprises a plano-convex lens having an optical diffractive element on a plano side of the plano-convex lens, the plano-convex lens and the optical diffractive element receive the narrow, single-mode laser beam and produce an output that is received by the frequency-altering device.
- 5. The optical device of claim 4, wherein the optical diffractive element is a binary optical diffractive element.
- 6. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the frequency-altering device comprises a ring resonator having a nonlinear crystal, wherein the ring resonator receives the single-mode laser emitted from the mode controlling device, and configured to emit green laser light.
- 7. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the frequency-altering device comprises a ring resonator having a nonlinear crystal, wherein the ring resonator receives the single-mode laser emitted from the mode controlling device, and emits blue laser light.
- 8. A laser beam altering optical device, comprising:
a semiconductor laser having an active gain region with a beam emitting facet; an external optical reflector having a Gaussian intensity profile promoting cavity facing the facet of the semiconductor laser, the cavity having a focal length at a preselected distance from the cavity surface, the semiconductor laser positioned such that the facet is at the focal length distance from the cavity surface, wherein a laser beam with a substantially Gaussian intensity is produced; and a frequency-altering device for receiving the laser beam with the substantially Gaussian intensity, the frequency-altering device produces a frequency-altered laser light.
- 9. The optical device of claim 8, wherein the external optical reflector produces a laser beam having a super-Gaussian intensity profile, wherein the laser beam having the super-Gaussian intensity profile is directed to and received by the frequency-altering device.
- 10. The optical device of claim 8, wherein the external optical reflector produces a laser beam having a near-Gaussian intensity profile, wherein the laser beam having the near-Gaussian intensity profile is directed to and received by the frequency-altering device.
- 11. The optical device of claim 8, wherein the frequency-altered laser light has a wavelength approximate to 490 nm.
- 12. The optical device of claim 8, wherein the frequency-altered laser light has a wavelength approximate to 532 nm.
- 13. The optical device of claim 8, wherein the frequency-altering device comprises a ring resonator having a nonlinear crystal, wherein the ring resonator receives the beam with the substantially Gaussian intensity, and configured to emit green laser light.
- 14. The optical device of claim 8, wherein the frequency-altering device comprises a ring resonator having a nonlinear crystal, wherein the ring resonator receives the beam with the substantially Gaussian intensity, and configured to emit blue laser light.
- 15. The optical device of claim 8, wherein the semiconductor laser emits an infrared laser.
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/197,151, filed Jul. 15, 2002; which in turn is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/652,527, filed Aug. 31, 2000, priority from the filing date of which is hereby claimed under 35 U.S.C. §120, which claims the benefit U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/156,982, filed Oct. 1, 1999; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/157,381, filed Oct. 1, 1999; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/151,664, filed Aug. 31, 1999; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/151,779, filed Aug. 31, 1999, the benefit of which is hereby claimed under 35 U.S.C. §119.
Provisional Applications (4)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60156982 |
Oct 1999 |
US |
|
60157381 |
Oct 1999 |
US |
|
60151664 |
Aug 1999 |
US |
|
60151779 |
Aug 1999 |
US |
Continuations (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10197151 |
Jul 2002 |
US |
Child |
10768426 |
Jan 2004 |
US |
Parent |
09652527 |
Aug 2000 |
US |
Child |
10197151 |
Jul 2002 |
US |