Current control device and laser device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10170885-B2
Application number	US-201715625241-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2017
Priority date	Jun 27, 2016
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

A current control device supplies a current to a semiconductor laser in order to output laser light to the semiconductor laser, and includes a current commander and a supplier. The current commander outputs a command value corresponding to a current value by increasing the command value with a lapse of time until reaching a target command value corresponding to a current value for outputting the laser light with a predetermined strength. The supplier supplies a current with a size corresponding to the command value output by the current commander to the semiconductor laser.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A current control device that supplies a current to a semiconductor laser in order to output laser light from the semiconductor laser, the current control device comprising:
a processor configured to output a command value corresponding to a current value by continuously increasing the command value with a lapse of time until reaching a target command value corresponding to the current value to output the laser light with a predetermined strength; and
a circuit configured to supply a current with a size corresponding to the command value output by the processor to the semiconductor laser.

2. The current control device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to increase the command value in steps.

3. The current control device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to decrease an increment of the command value with a lapse of time.

4. The current control device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to increase the increment of the command value with a lapse of time.

5. The current control device according to claim 1 , further comprising a detector configured to detect the current value, wherein the processor is further configured to change the increment of the command value based on the detected current value.

6. A laser device comprising:
a semiconductor laser;
a controller configured to supply a current to the semiconductor laser in order to output laser light from the semiconductor laser, the controller comprising:
a processor configured to output a command value corresponding to a current value by increasing the command value with a lapse of time until reaching a target command value corresponding to the current value to output the laser light with a predetermined strength; and
a circuit configured to supply a current with a size corresponding to the command value output by the processor to the semiconductor laser; and

a nonlinear optical crystal configured to convert the laser light output from the semiconductor laser into the laser light having a different frequency from the frequency of the laser light; and
a temperature controller configured to control a temperature of the nonlinear optical crystal, wherein, the processor is further configured to outputs the increased command value with a lapse of time in a duration of time longer than the time required by the temperature controller to control the temperature of the nonlinear optical crystal.

7. The laser device according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to increase the command value in steps.

8. The laser device according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to increase the command value continuously.

9. The laser device according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to decrease an increment of the command value with a lapse of time.

10. The laser device according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to increase the increment of the command value with a lapse of time.

11. The laser device according to claim 6 , wherein:
the controller further comprises a detector configured to detect the current value, and
the processor is further configured to change the increment of the command value based on the detected current value.

Assignees

• Mitutoyo Corp

Inventors

• Oozeki Hidekazu
• Matsuura Toshiaki

Classifications

• H01S3/1392

  by using a passive reference, e.g. absorption cell (H01S3/1396, H01S3/1398 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01S3/109

  Frequency multiplication, e.g. harmonic generation · CPC title

• H01S3/1312

  by controlling the optical pumping · CPC title

• H01S3/137 Primary

  for stabilising of frequency · CPC title

• H01S5/0683

  by monitoring the optical output parameters · CPC title