Abstract

There are many applications where a wavelength tunable diode laser might prove useful including optical communications, laser ranging, and spectroscopy. Electrooptic tuning of lasers using birefringent filters has been demonstrated using conventional electrooptic materials requiting several kilovolts to accomplish the wavelength scanning function.^1,2 This paper describes external cavity diode laser tuning with a birefringent filter containing a birefringent nematic liquid crystal cell. The voltage switching characteristics of liquid crystals allow tuning over a free spectral range (FSR) of one stage of the birefringent tuner between 1.0 and 1.7 V rms.

© 1990 Optical Society of America