A method for synchronizing an etalon to a preselected set of optical frequencies includes the step of generating a transmission spectrum for an etalon having a characteristic free spectral range that is a function of its effective length. The optical frequencies for the transmission spectrum are provided by two optical reference frequencies such as produced by a first and second frequency locked laser. The effective length of the etalon is set in relation to the optical reference frequencies.

A tunable etalon filter is formed by placing mirrors on either side of a spacer of a material which has a relatively large rate of change of refractive index with temperature, and coupling the filter to a thermoelectric cooler to control the temperature of the spacer and, therefore, the index of refraction of the spacer. More specifically, the spacer can be a silicon wafer, or a wafer of zinc sulfide or zinc selenide. The mirrors can be formed of quarter wavelength layer pairs of dielectric coat...

In producing an etalon, a thickness of an etalon base plate is measured, and the etalon base plate is placed in a process chamber. Then, a gas having a chemical reactivity with respect to a material of the etalon base plate is introduced into the process chamber, and a surface of the etalon base plate is etched for only a predetermined time corresponding to a thickness of the etalon base plate, thereby obtaining the etalon having a desired thickness.

An etalon is disposed in a resonator of a laser to make the laser oscillate in a single longitudinal mode. Opposite end faces of the etalon through which light travels are provided with coating by ion-assisted deposition to prevent output fluctuations of the laser due to changes in environmental moisture and/or aging of the laser. Preferably the coating is of HfO.sub.2 and SiO.sub.2. In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a single longitudinal mode laser c...

A single-frequency semiconductor laser diode structure and a method for its fabrication. The structure includes a built-in etalon, which limits the frequency of operation of the device to a very narrow frequency band. For an edge-emitting diode, the etalon is formed over a cleaved end face of the semiconductor diode structure, and light is emitted from an opposed cleaved end face. For a surface emitting diode, the etalon is formed as an additional plurality of layers between a plurality of semic...

An etalon used in analyzing a wavelength of a light source includes ant etalon only in a portion of a substrate in which the etalon is integrated. Use of such an etalon in monitoring or controlling the wavelength allows the etalon to be placed in an application beam. A portion of the application beam is split into at least two beams, a first beam being directed to the etalon to monitor the wavelength, and the other beam either serving purely as a reference beam or passing through another etalon ...

A high resolution etalon-grating monochromator. A preferred embodiment presents an extremely narrow slit function in the ultraviolet range and is very useful for measuring bandwidth of narrow band excimer lasers used for integrated circuit lithography. Light from the laser is focused into a diffuser and the diffused light exiting the diffuser illuminates an etalon. A portion of its light exiting the etalon is collected and directed into a slit positioned at a fringe pattern of the etalon. Light ...

Systems and methods for providing compact dispersion compensation modules. In one implementation, a dispersion compensation module includes a polarizer having a first port, a second port, and a third port. The dispersion compensation module also includes a reflection etalon and a quarter-waveplate positioned between the reflection etalon and the second port of the polarizer.

An etalon device comprises a pair of parallel plates each of which is arranged to be faced each other, a pair of holder portions which hold individually a pair of the parallel plates respectively, and a housing portion arranged at the outside of the pair of the holder portions, wherein at least one of the pair of the holder portions has a concave portions in its inner peripheral surface, which the parallel plate corresponding to it touches, and an inclined surface is arranged at, at least either...

A first double pass etalon based spectrometer. In a preferred embodiment a second etalon matched to the first double pass etalon is used to produce extremely precise fringe data. Spectral components of a diffused beam are angularly separated as they are transmitted through an etalon. A retroreflector reflects the transmitted components back through the etalon. Twice transmitted spectral components are directed through a second etalon and focused onto a light detector which in a preferred embodim...