Sweeping Laser Schematic (IMAGE)

University of California - Berkeley

Sweeping Laser Schematic

Caption

This self-sweeping laser couples an optical field with the mechanical motion of a high-contrast grating (HCG) mirror. The HCG mirror is supported by mechanical springs connected to layers of semiconductor material. The red layer represents the laser's gain (for light amplification), and the blue layers form the system's second mirror. The force of the light causes the top mirror to vibrate at high speed. The vibration allows the laser to automatically change color as it scans.

Credit

Schematic by Weijian Yang

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