Extended laser sensor

Patent · Tue Feb 17 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6947003

Petuchowski, S J; Giallorenzi, T G

This patent describes an optical sensor sensing various kinds of physical fields, comprising: a semiconductor diode lasing medium, with a first and a second end facet oriented perpendicularly to the optical axis of the medium, producing coherent optical energy at a lasing frequency. The first facet is highly reflective at the lasing frequency and the second facet is highly nonreflective at the lasing frequency; a fiber optic coupler with first second, third and fourth ports for distributing optical energy incident on any one of the ports in predetermined ratios between the remainder of the ports; a first optical fiber or first optical waveguide with a first end optically coupled to the second facet of the lasing medium and with a second end optically coupled to the first port of the coupler. The first optical fiber or the first optical waveguide transmits optical energy between the lasing medium and the coupler; and a resonant cavity having a response curve, the cavity including the fiber optic coupler a reference optical fiber or a reference optical waveguide with a first end optically coupled to the second port of the coupler, and a second highly reflective end.

• Assignee: Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC
• Patent Number(s): US 4644556
• OSTI ID: 6947003
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420300* -- Engineering-- Lasers-- (-1989)
AMPLIFICATION
CAVITY RESONATORS
COHERENT RADIATION
COUPLING
DESIGN
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
FIBER OPTICS
FIBERS
FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE
FUNCTIONS
GAIN
LASER MIRRORS
LASERS
MIRRORS
OPERATION
OPTICAL FIBERS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
REFLECTIVITY
RESONATORS
RESPONSE FUNCTIONS
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEMICONDUCTOR LASERS
SURFACE PROPERTIES
WAVEGUIDES