title: Fast mode-hop-free acousto-optically tuned laser with a simple laser diode.
abstract: A mode-hop-free tunable external-cavity Littrow diode laser with intracavity acousto-optic modulators (AOMs) has been built. The modes of the red laser diode without a special antireflection coating are shifted by varying the injection current. The external resonator modes and the grating selectivity are independently electrically alterable by two AOMs. Thus, a tuning of the external resonator over up to 1900 GHz is possible. A precise computer control of laser diode and AOMs allowed a single-mode tuning of the whole laser with a tuning range of 225 GHz in 250 s. Additionally, we demonstrated fast tuning over 90 GHz in 190 micros and a repetition rate of 2.5 kHz.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physik, E.-M.-Arndt-Universität Greifwald, Felix-Hausdorff-Strasse 6, D-17487 Greifswald, Germany. andre.boesel@web.de
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bösel
authors.forename: Klaus-Dieter
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Salewski
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kinder