RU2516615C1 - Mechanical q-switch (quality switch) for pulse lasers with commutator function - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: electricity.

SUBSTANCE: mechanical Q-switch (quality switch) for pulse lasers with a commutator function is a device with an optical-mechanical unit, a power supply unit and a processor control unit and a prefabricated prism which is installed on the rotating rotor of an electric motor; the prism consists of two rectangular prisms Ap90 fixed by their hypotenuse edges at the tiled edges of the rhomb-prism with a gap between edges. The device ensures Q-factor of the pulse laser circuit at the moment of radiation in two directions due to applied semitransparent coatings at cathetus edges of the prisms Ap90 fixed at the rhomb-prism with a nontransmitting mirror included into the laser design; at the moment of radiation the laser does not generate flare to sensors receiving the echo signal from each of two potential directions, it is ensured by a rotary shutter fixed at the rotor of the electric motor, which covers the sensors at the moment of the laser radiation and passes the received echo signal to the receiving sensors due to two cuts made in its edge.

EFFECT: reducing weight and dimensions of the device.

2 dwg

Description

The invention relates to laser technology. The use of various shutters (Q-switches) in pulsed lasers to stimulate laser radiation, such as electro-optical shutters, passive shutters, optical-mechanical shutters, etc., do not allow the use of a single optics for radiation and reception of reflected radiation from an object, as well as quickly change direction laser radiation in space without additional design and optical elements. The essence of the proposed invention in the design of an optical-mechanical shutter (Q-switched modulator) with the function of a switch operating with a pulsed laser is sequentially in two directions, with the possibility of receiving from each direction of the reflected echo the laser radiation signal from the object through the same optical system and from that the same direction that the laser emitted. Similar devices, according to their individual functional capabilities, are published in patents (optical-mechanical modulators) RU No. 2134006, C1 dated October 25, 2007; RU No. 2087063, C1, dated October 25, 2007, (optical switches) RU No. 2029239, C1, dated February 20, 1995, RU No. 2352957, C2 dated April 20, 2009

Description of the invention

The optical-mechanical shutter (Q-switch) with the switch function (OMZ-K) represents a single assembled unit (Fig. 1), in which on the rotating part (Fig. 1, p. 10), mounted on the rotor of the electric motor (Fig. 1, p. 17, not shown), the prefabricated prism (Fig. 1, p. 1, 2, 3) and a shutter (Fig. 1, p. 4) are structurally fixed. The combined prism consists of two rectangular prisms Ar90 (Fig. 1, p. 1, p. 3), fixed by hypotenuse faces on the inclined faces of the third rhombus-prism (Fig. 1, p. 2), with a calculated plane-parallel gap between these faces. The axis of rotation of the assembled prism on the rotating part OM3-K is oriented to the center of one of the two inclined faces of the rhombus-prism (Figure 1, position 1, section AA). The obturator (Fig. 1, item 4), mounted on the rotating part of the electric motor, has two cutouts on the edge of the obturator disk (Fig. 1, item a, b). Each cutout is oriented relative to one of the two positions of the prefabricated prism (Figure 1. Position 1, Position 2). On the fixed housing OMZ-K (Fig. 1 p. 9), angular position sensors (Fig. 1, p. 7) of the engine rotor are installed, which interact with the sensor (Fig. 1, p. 8), mounted on the rotating part of the structure ( Figure 1, p. 10). Translucent coatings of specified parameters are applied to the end face legs of Ar90 prisms mounted on a rhombus prism (Fig. 1, p. 18). On the lateral fixed part of the OMZ-K body, a structure consisting of the Ar90 prism is fixed (Figure 1, item 5, section BB), lenses (Fig. 1, item 11, item 13, item 15, section B-B), as well as an optical filter (Fig. 1, item 14, section B-B) predetermined parameters, installed in a parallel beam path between the lens (Fig. 13) and the lens (Fig. 1 p. 15). The lens (Figure 1, item 11) and the lens (Figure 1, item 13) are mounted on the same optical axis, their optical rays converge at the focus of the field diaphragm (Figure 1, item 12) of the calculated diameter. In the focal plane of the lens (Fig. 1, p. 15), a sensor (Fig. 1, p. 16) is installed that is sensitive to the optical radiation of the active element of the laser (Fig. 1, p. 20).

The plane of the obturator (Fig. 1 p. 4), mounted on the rotating part of the electric motor, intersects the common focal plane of the lens (Fig. 1, p. 11 section BB) and lens (Fig. 1, item 13, section BB),at a given distance from the field diaphragm (Figure 1 p.12).

A similar design (Figure 1, section B-B) is mounted on a fixed housing OMZ-K, consisting of a prism Ar90 (Figure 1, item 6,), lenses (Figure 1, item 11, item 13, item .15 section B-B),), as well as an optical filter (Fig. 1, item 14, section B-B) set parameters, installed in a parallel path between the lens (Fig. 13, cross-section B-B) and the lens (Fig. 1 p. 15, cross-section B-B). The lens (Fig. 1 p. 11, section B-B) and the lens (Fig. 1 p. 13, section B-B) mounted on one optical axis, their optical rays converge at the focus of the field diaphragm (Fig. 1 p. 12, section BB) design diameter. In the focal plane of the lens (Fig. 1, item 15, section B-B), a sensor is installed (Fig. 1, item 16, section B-B), sensitive to optical radiation of the active element of the laser (Figure 1, p. 20).

The plane of the obturator (Figure 1 p. 4), mounted on the rotating part of the electric motor, intersects the common focal plane of the lens (Figure 1 p. 11, section B-B) and the lens (Figure 1 p. 14, section B-B) , at a predetermined distance from the field diaphragm (Figure 1, p. 12, section BB). The laser pumping device (Figure 1, section AA, p. 19) interacts with this active element of the laser (Fig. 1, p. 20) in the pulsed radiation mode. The power supply (Figure 2, item 22) and the processor (Figure 2, item 23) are included in the OMZ-K kit (Figure 2).

The optical-mechanical shutter (Q-switch) with the switch function works as follows.

It is known that all pulse-periodic lasers contain an optical resonator, which is formed by the output translucent mirror parallel to the deaf mirror and placed between them on the common optical axis by the active element of the laser. The output translucent mirror in this invention are the two leg faces of the Ar90 prisms (Fig. 1, p. 18, position 1, position 2, section AA). Translucent coatings with a predetermined transmittance and reflection coefficient are applied to these side faces (FIG. 1, p.18). Prisms Ar90 (Fig. 1, p. 1; p. 3, section AA) are fixed by hypotenuse faces on a rhombus-prism (Fig. 1, p. 2, section AA) with a calculated plane-parallel gap. When the team prism (Fig. 1, p. 1, 2, 3, section AA) rotates in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1), the cathete faces of the Ar90 prisms alternately coincide, strictly parallel, with the plane of the deaf mirror (Fig. 1, p .21, section AA), forming a Q-factor modulator. For pulsed laser radiation, it is necessary to create conditions of maximum figure of merit under which the inversion population of the active element of the laser was at a given level, and one of the leg faces of the Ar90 prisms with a translucent coating (Fig. 1, p. 18) in the assembled prism (Fig. 1, p .1; 2; 3) was parallel to the blind mirror (Fig. 1, item 21). In the OMZ-K device, a command to the laser pumping unit (Fig. 1, p. 19), to create a given level of inversion population of the active element of the laser, is issued by the processor (Fig. 2, p. 23) taking into account the data received from the angle sensors the rotor (Fig. 1, p. 7, 8, section BB). In this case, the rotation speeds are calculated in the processor so that the command for creating the optimal inversion population in the active element of the laser is at the moment of maximum quality factor, for pulsed laser radiation due to the calculated reflection coefficient of the cathelet face of the prism Ar90 (FIG. 1, position a or position b, section AA) and a blind mirror (Fig. 1 p. 21).

However, the simultaneity of laser radiation and overlapping obturator (Figure 1, item 4) of the field diaphragm (Figure 1, item 12, positionbutor position b) provides absolute protection for the sensors (Figure 1, clause 16, section BB) and (Fig. 1, item 16, section BB) from high-power illumination at the time of laser radiation in OMZ-K.

Further rotation of the assembled prism (Fig. 1, p. 1; 2; 3, position 1, section AA), mounted on the rotor of the electric motor, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, violates the conditions for the total internal reflection of the hypotenous faces of the prism Ap90 and rhombus -prisms. At the same time, the obturator (Fig. 1, item 4, section BB) opens the field diaphragm (Figure 1, p. 12, section BB) to pass the echo radiation. The reflected laser radiation from the object (echo signal, position 1, section A-A), passing through the assembled prism (Figure 1, item 1; 2; 3), prism Ar90 (Figure 1, item 5, section B- B), lens (Fig. 1, item 11, section BB), field diaphragm (Figure 1, p. 12, section BB), lens (Fig. 1, item 13, section B-B), an optical filter (Figure 1, item 14, section B-B), lens (Figure 1, p. 15, section BB), hits the sensor receiving the echo signal of the laser radiation (Fig. 1, item 16, section B-B), which is in the focal plane of this lens.

The same OMZ-K operation algorithm is performed after the rotation of the combined prism (Fig. 1, p. 1; 2; 3, position 2, section AA) in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1) by 180 °, i.e., in the second spatial direction (Figure 1, position 2).

Technical and economic efficiency of the invention is due to the expansion of operational capabilities and the reduction of weight and size characteristics of optoelectronic systems using pulsed lasers. The described optical-mechanical shutter (Q-switch) for pulsed lasers with a switch function (OMZ-K) meets the criterion of industrial applicability and can be manufactured at the enterprises of the optical-mechanical industry.

Claims (1)

An optical-mechanical Q-switch with a switch function (OMZ-K) is a device that includes an optical-mechanical unit, a power supply and a control processor, as well as a combined prism, which is mounted on a rotating rotor of an electric motor, consisting of two Ap90 rectangular prisms fixed by hypotenuse faces on the inclined faces of the rhombus-prism with a calculated plane-parallel gap between these faces, characterized in which ensures the quality factor of the pulse laser circuit at the time of radiation in two directions, due to the applied translucent coatings of the specified parameters on the Ap90 prism side faces mounted on the rhombus prism, together with a dull mirror that is included in the laser structure, which does not create light at the moment of radiation on the sensors receiving an echo signal from each of two possible directions, which is provided by a rotating obturator mounted on the rotor of an electric motor, which covers the sensors at the time of laser radiation, etc. lowers the incoming echo signal to the receiving sensors, due to the presence of two cutouts on the edge of the shutter to pass the incoming echo signal to the sensors.

Images