System and devices for improving external cavity diode lasers using wavelength and mode sensors and compact optical paths

1. A system comprising:

an external cavity laser having a laser cavity comprising:

a laser medium for generating laser light;

a movable wavelength tuning element spaced from the laser medium for receiving at least a portion of the laser light; and

two or more partially reflective optical surfaces which provide feedback of laser light to the laser medium and define the operating mode of the laser cavity;

a positional light source which generates positional light; and

a position sensitive detector which receives at least a portion of the positional light;

wherein the positional light source is connected to the wavelength tuning element so that, as the wavelength tuning element moves, the positional light source moves along a track;

wherein, in receiving the portion of the positional light, the position sensitive detector thereby determines a position of the wavelength tuning element based on movement of the positional light source along the track;

wherein the laser comprises a laser diode;

wherein the wavelength tuning element is a diffraction grating, and wherein the laser cavity is positioned between the laser diode and the diffraction grating;

wherein the diffraction grating pivots about a pivot point within an angular range, and wherein the position sensitive detector thereby determines an angular position of the diffraction grating;

wherein the positional light source is mounted on a positional light source mount, wherein the positional light source mount is connected to a second end of the grating frame spaced from the one end for pivotal movement about the pivot point so that the positional light source travels along a curved track, and wherein the position sensitive detector detects a position of the positional light source along the track.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the diffraction grating pivots within an angular range of up to about 1 degree.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the diffraction grating is connected to a grating frame and wherein the grating frame pivots at one end about the pivot point.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein pivotal movement of the grating frame about the pivot point is responsive to movement imparted proximate the second end.

5. The system of claim 4 , which further comprises a reciprocating member connected proximate the second end, and wherein the reciprocating member imparts the movement to the second end so that the positional light source travels along a curved track in an arc.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein wavelengths of the laser light are calibrated as a function of the position of the grating frame.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the diffraction grating comprises a transmissive diffraction grating.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the diffraction grating is connected to a movable mechanical assembly which moves linearly and laterally back and forth.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the positional light source is a light emitting diode.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the diffraction grating comprises a reflective diffraction grating.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the diffraction grating comprises a transmissive diffraction grating.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the position sensitive detector is a two-dimensional sensor array or a one-dimensional sensor array.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the position sensitive detector is a two-dimensional CMOS camera, a two-dimensional CCD, or a quad cell photodiode.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the position sensitive detector is a CMOS linear array, a CCD linear array, or a bicell photodiode.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the position sensitive detector is one-dimensional position sensitive detector, and wherein two photocurrents from the one-dimensional position sensitive detector are measured to determine the position of the positional light source.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein wavelengths of the laser light are calibrated as a function of the position of the wavelength tuning element.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wavelength tuning element is an etalon.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the etalon pivots about a pivot point within an angular range, and wherein the position sensitive detector thereby determines an angular position of the etalon.

19. A method comprising the following steps of:

(a) providing an external cavity laser system comprising:

an external cavity laser having a laser cavity comprising:

a laser medium for generating laser light;

a movable wavelength tuning element spaced from the laser medium for receiving at least a portion of the laser light; and

two or more partially reflective optical surfaces which provide feedback of laser light to the laser medium and define the operating mode of the laser cavity;

a positional light source which generates positional light; and

a position sensitive detector which receives at least a portion of the positional light; and

(b) determining a position of the wavelength tuning element based on detection by the position sensitive detector of movement of the positional light source along a track detected;

wherein the positional light source is connected to the wavelength tuning element so that, as the wavelength tuning element moves, the positional light source moves along the track;

wherein the laser comprises a laser diode;

wherein the wavelength tuning element is a diffraction grating, and wherein the laser cavity is positioned between the laser diode and the diffraction grating;

wherein the diffraction grating pivots about a pivot point within an angular range, and wherein the position sensitive detector determines during step (b) an angular position of the diffraction grating;

wherein the positional light source travels along a curved track, and wherein the position sensitive detector detects a position of the positional light source along the track during step (b).

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the position sensitive detector is a two-dimensional sensor array or a one-dimensional sensor array.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the position sensitive detector is one-dimensional position sensitive detector, and wherein step (b) comprises measuring two photocurrents from the one-dimensional position sensitive detector to determine the position of the positional light source.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein wavelengths of the laser light are calibrated as a function of the position of the wavelength tuning element, and wherein the position of the positional light source determined by the position sensitive detector thereby determines the wavelength of the laser light.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the wavelength tuning element is an etalon.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the etalon pivots about a pivot point within an angular range, and wherein the position sensitive detector thereby determines an angular position of the etalon.