Low voltage wavelength tuning of an external cavity diode laser using a nematic liquid crystal-containing birefringent filter

摘要

A tunable diode laser incorporating a two-stage birefringent filter in an external cavity is discussed. Tuning of the laser wavelength is accomplished with a nematic liquid-crystal cell with electrically controlled birefringence in each stage of the filter. The laser has a scan range of 26.7 AA for a drive voltage to each of the liquid-crystal cells of >1.7 V RMS.