JPS5932189A - Light amplifying method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To amplify a light in high sensitivity and high resolution with low voltage and low power consumption by emitting information light which contains image information in a laser array and inducing a laser oscillation in the individual laser media in accordance with the image information. CONSTITUTION:Information light 10 which contains image information is incident through an infrared filter 9, and focused on a laser rod array via a lens array. The individual laser rods 1 which form this laser rod array are excited by an exciting light from a Kr arc lamp 7, and a laser oscillation occurs in accordance with the image information by the emission of the information light. The light which contains the image information amplified by the induction and the emission is outputted from the laser rod array, and converted into an electric signal via an image pickup element 6. In this case, an LED or the like may be used instead of the lamp 7 as an exciting light source. In this manner, a light amplifier which has high sensitivity and high resolution can be obtained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an optical amplification method and apparatus.1More specifically, the present invention relates to an optical amplification method and apparatus. 1 and installation F
Enter J.

Conventionally, as an image information amplification device as described above, -yt
nt multiplier tubes, image indensifiers, and the like are known. Furthermore, in recent years, a device called a microchannel play 1, which extracts image information as an electrical signal, has been put into practical use by arranging a large number of devices in parallel that utilize the secondary H-n emission phenomenon.

However, all of the above-mentioned devices amplify information light by converting it into an electrical signal, and conventionally, image information is amplified as light.) Y: Amplification devices were completely unknown.

Ya, I put 1 in the next device, 5, and the upper ml light multiplier tube is the image information, the darkness level is clear, and the island (・The trap is not enough to pray for information, Image intensifiers still require 1i (but not enough, and enough fog for their use).Also, microchannel plates have sufficient resolution and sensitivity, but two High voltage is required to utilize the next screw release phenomenon,
The element generates a large amount of heat, and there is also a concern that X-legs may occur.

In view of the above facts, it is an object of the present invention to provide an optical amplification method and apparatus that amplifies image information as it is and provides high sensitivity and resolution at low voltage.

In the present invention, at least two laser media are arranged in an array to form a laser array, and the laser array is irradiated with information light containing 11 images.

:I f, :Invent the present invention, at least two or more laser media 11t, a laser array with Q, ji'+ in the array 4, and X1flN each individual θ) Luli ゛ρj1ξ)+
17; and an excitation means for exciting the laser array ((1.
ii l'42 'l'1 The hand I'σ that images the IW information that has failed the 'l'1 signal, and the individual lasers lt'1. By restricting laser oscillation to i'+,
; amplifying the light; providing a 1v4 device with σ)
Atte].

1-J T, tree y)'/+, light will be specifically explained based on the implementation 11 Vm.

FIGS. 1 to 6 (1)) iJ, 2111 implementation 14 of the optical amplification device based on the present invention.

, 01 is a diagram schematically showing a laser array used in this example. Here, 1 is the laser rod, straight T"41
The laser medium is made of fiber-like Nd glass of 00/l Ill. Further, both ends of the laser rod 10 are evaporated with gold (4) to form anti-!JH4k 2,3.In addition, as shown in FIG. The square distribution is shown in the section.

(At the knee, 1b and 4' indicate the refractive index of the laser rod part and the laser rod support member, respectively.)
This 21, laser rod (,1
, 31) The center contains Nd ions at a high 61 degrees Vr, and the peripheral part 2s3+ 2) If the refractive index is 2]), it may not show any distribution and may be a so-called self-mecking/-3'i).

? 11. ro 1・゛old;t)
, 1 (A of 11 is a schematic diagram of the lc cross section.

Figure 5 (,l), (1.5℃, 1 is Nd
Glass laser rod, 2 and 3 are aluminum 7A'
Reflector by NV IjIλ, 4 Ft rod length 1-1 to 5 members, connects the information light to the laser rod array 1bj A short focal length lens array, the focus of each lens, ψ, is It is arranged so as to be in the center of the corresponding laser rod 1.

Yota6υ, 11 Sobuki, Isao] Tabi to tIj, Ki 1d ((:(:I) etc. 471 + 1 element, 9 is an infrared transmission filter. 7th krypton arc The lamps are lined up in a symmetrical manner as shown in Figure 6 (1)).The cross section of the laser rod holding member is surrounded by four arcs, and the center of each arc corresponds to the krypton arc lamp 7. ing.

In addition, there are four paraboloids r (, 18) symmetrically arranged to make the I S''r signal of Krypton Arklumph 7 silent.

Milii+F, reflection fii'i 2, 3) The reflectance r and J are 98% and 95 chi, respectively, but the minute area with a diameter of 1 μm at the center of the reflecting mirror ~2~ where the information light is incident has a reflectance of 90 chi. The transparency is (-4.)λ.

Further, the krypton arc lamp 7 emits 114 power of approximately 30 W and emits pulse light at 30 pulses/second. The lamp 7
) Y and Y', respectively, are incident on the laser rod support 4''4 member, and guide the member to the solid laser rod 1.
excite. Here, the output of the krypton arc lamp 7 is sufficient to have enough firepower to prevent the laser rod 1 from causing laser oscillation.ii1. 'I 'ltF have to do it.

Next, the method of amplifying -) in this embodiment will be explained.

First, a 4i kidney report (Y; 10) containing image information is made incident through an infrared filter 9 and imaged onto a laser rod array by a lens array 5. The individual laser rods 1 constituting the laser rod array are excited by the excitation from the krypton arc lamp 7, and are irradiated with information light to cause laser oscillation in accordance with the image information.

In this way, the light containing image information amplified by the '94 emission is output from the laser rod array and converted into a 'T1 signal by the image pickup device 6. In this way, according to this embodiment, the resolution is 10 lines/m+r+ and the gain is 20 to 0.
dB optical amplification device 14). In this embodiment, a light emitting diode or the like may be used instead of the krypton arc lamp as the excitation source. It is also possible to further increase the degree of amplification by -4.

Next, FIGS. 4 and 5 show the second embodiment of the optical amplification device based on the present invention.
An example will be explained.

Figure 4 is used in this example! FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a laser array. Here, the semiconductor laser array is Ga
Stripe-type semiconductor lasers made of As, GaA6As are arranged in an array with a pitch of 10011 m, where 11 is a positive electrode (iti), 1'l is an insulating layer, and 115
tiP type""ASt 141d P type (3aA, 6As
, 15 is GaAs (active In), 16 is n-type Ga
AdA, s, 17 is an n-type (3aAs, 18 times negative electrode).This semiconductor laser array is designed so that the individual semiconductor lasers are excited by passing a current between the electrodes 11 and 17, and this excitation current is increased. Laser oscillation occurs in the active region 19, causing the laser array to emit light.When used in this embodiment, the excitation flow itself does not cause laser oscillation. The information irradiated on the information beam) C1 first guides Ruthau Y, and the information contained in the information light is amplified.

The 51st page 1 shows an outline of the configuration of this embodiment. Sentence 51 j
As a result, the information light 20 containing information on the image 1 is...
It passes through the fumirror 30 and passes through the infrared transmission filter 29.
Half 7 as shown in FIG. 4 by F if+i lens 25! An image is formed on the integrated laser array 21. Here, the plane lens 25 is made of BK7 glass using the ion exchange method.
It has a three-dimensional refractive index distribution by doogling gO, and the lens portions are arranged in a two-dimensional array with a pitch of 100 μIn. The focal point of each lens portion of the flat curved lens 25 corresponds to the active region 19 shown in Figure 4 of the semiconductor laser array 21, respectively. The quality of each laser beam in the semiconductor laser array 21 is 2! F is excited by a current with a value lower than the threshold for emission, li blf. This semiconductor laser array 2
The information light 20 incident on 1 causes laser oscillation in each lT'j characteristic region according to the image information, is amplified, and is emitted as an output, )Y, 22. The output light 22 then passes through a flat lens 25°, an infrared transmitting j1 filter 29, and is reflected by a -7 mirror 60.
I) 26 and converted into an electrical signal. In this embodiment, the infrared transmission filter 29 is used as information light.
It is suitable for the purpose of amplifying the reflected light from an object illuminated by a halogen lamp, etc., using infrared light with a wavelength of 1°2 μm. Photointensification I suitable for wavelength light
lq'<device tQ can be configured.

In this way, according to this embodiment, the profit is #110 to 2 QdH.

Solution 1: A' with a sharpness of 10 lines/l11m; an amplifier section R can be realized. In addition, since this practical h'flj example uses a current-excited semiconductor laser as the laser medium, it facilitates a device that is smaller and consumes less aa and power than the first example described above. ).

Previous Miho's 21. Although the example in which the amplified light is converted into an electrical signal using an image sensor such as a CCJ (CCJ) has been shown in I41 and the second embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. There are 11 possible applications of t:rt, such as direct observation and observation.

As explained above, the present invention is based on the conventional optical amplification method and equipment, and it is possible to perform optical amplification in the tube section with high sensitivity and low power consumption at low pressure and low power consumption. This has the effect of making nJ possible.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the outline of the laser array used in the first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a diagram showing the refractive index distribution of the laser rod of the first embodiment, Figure 6 (a) is a schematic diagram showing the (1) configuration of the first embodiment, and Figure 6 (b) is a schematic diagram of the cross section at A in Figure 6 (a).
- Figure 5 showing the semiconductor laser array used in the second embodiment
The figure is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the second embodiment.

1--Laser rod 2,3#...Reflector 4
...Laser rod support member 5...Lens array 6...Functional image sensor 7...Crigton arc clamp 8...Parabolic mirror 9... ...Infrared transmission filter 10...Information light applicant Canon 1, ceremony, meeting 71 Representative Marushima Gizu,゛,(2-1,'i

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) arranging two or more laser media in an array to form a loser, and irradiating the laser array with information light containing image information; An optical amplification method for amplifying the information light by inducing laser oscillation in the individual laser media according to the image information. (2) A method of amplifying the information light by inducing laser oscillation in the individual laser media according to the image information. and means for increasing or decreasing the image information)'C1;
n'J by exclusively planning Laser No. 4K in I quality
yji amplification device that amplifies the ap irt signal. (b) The excitation means illuminates the laser medium with excitation light)Y; the amplification property jl/! The medium is supported by a member having a refractive index different from that of the laser medium, and the excitation light is guided through the member to illuminate the laser medium.
) The optical amplification device described in paragraphs 4 and 443. (5) The optical amplification device according to item 2 of the patent application, wherein the laser medium is made of a semiconductor, and the excitation means is means for passing a current through the laser medium.