Multi-channel laser system including an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) with beam stabilizer and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10509245-B2
Application number	US-201815918184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2018
Priority date	Nov 3, 2016
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

A method may include generating a laser light beam, stabilizing the laser light beam using a beam stabilizer, splitting the laser light beam using a first beamsplitter into a first front side laser light beam and a back side laser light beam for a back side of an ion trap, directing the front side laser light beam to a second beamsplitter using an input telescope, and splitting the first front side laser light beam using the second beamsplitter into second front side laser light beams. The method may further include receiving the front side laser light beams at a common acousto-optic medium, generating respective RF drive signals for electrodes coupled to the common acousto-optic medium for each of the second front side laser light beams using RF drivers, and directing the second front side laser light beams to a front side of the ion trap using an output telescope.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A laser system comprising:
a laser source configured to generate a laser light beam;
a beam stabilizer downstream from the laser source;
an ion trap;
a first beamsplitter configured to split the laser light beam into a first front side laser light beam and a back side laser light beam for a back side of the ion trap;
a multi-channel acousto-optic modulator (AOM) comprising
a second beamsplitter to split the first front side laser light beam into a plurality of second front side laser light beams from the second beamsplitter,
a common acousto-optic medium configured to receive the plurality of front side laser light beams, and
a respective plurality of electrodes coupled to the common acousto-optic medium for each of the second front side laser light beams;

a plurality of radio frequency (RF) drivers each configured to generate respective RF drive signals for each of the plurality of electrodes;
an input telescope configured to direct the front side laser light beam to the second beamsplitter; and
an output telescope configured to direct the plurality of second front side laser light beams to a front side of the ion trap.

2. The laser system of claim 1 wherein the beam stabilizer is configured to correct a positional displacement of the laser light beam.

3. The laser system of claim 1 wherein the beam stabilizer comprises:
a position mirror optically aligned with the laser light beam from the laser source;
a servo motor configured to move the position mirror;
a position sensor configured to measure a positional displacement of the laser light beam; and
a servo controller coupled to the servo motor and configured to actuate the servo motor to stabilize the laser light beam based upon the position sensor.

4. The laser system of claim 1 further comprising a single channel amplitude leveling acousto-optic modulator (ACM) coupled between the laser source and the first beamsplitter; and wherein the beam stabilizer comprises:
a position mirror optically aligned with an output light beam from the single channel amplitude leveling AOM;
a servo motor configured to move the position mirror;
a position sensor configured to measure a positional displacement of the output light beam; and
a servo controller coupled to the servo motor and configured to actuate the servo motor to stabilize the output light beam based upon the position sensor.

5. The laser system of claim 1 wherein the beam stabilizer is configured to correct an angular displacement of the laser light beam.

6. The laser system of claim 1 wherein the beam stabilizer comprises:
an angle mirror optically aligned with the laser light beam from the laser source;
a servo motor configured to move the angle mirror;
an angle sensor configured to measure an angular displacement of the laser light beam; and
a servo controller coupled to the servo motor and configured to actuate the servo motor to stabilize the laser light beam based upon the angle sensor.

7. The laser system of claim 1 further comprising a single channel amplitude leveling acousto-optic modulator (AOM) coupled between the laser source and the first beamsplitter; and wherein the beam stabilizer comprises:
an angle mirror optically aligned with an output light beam from the single channel amplitude leveling AOM;
a servo motor configured to move the angle mirror;
an angle sensor configured to measure an angular displacement of the output light beam; and
a servo controller coupled to the servo motor and configured to actuate the servo motor to stabilize the output light beam based upon the angle sensor.

8. The laser system of claim 1 further comprising at least one turning mirror to direct the back side laser light beam from the first beamsplitter to the back side of the workpiece.

9. The laser system of claim 1 wherein the electrodes comprise phased array transducer electrodes; and wherein each RF driver is configured to drive alternating electrodes of the respective phased array transducer electrodes with different phases.

10. A laser system comprising:
a laser source configured to generate a laser light beam;
a beam stabilizer downstream from the laser source and configured to correct at least one of an angular displacement and a positional displacement of the laser light beam;
an ion trap;
a first beamsplitter configured to split the laser light beam into a first front side laser light beam and a back side laser light beam for a back side of the ion trap;
a multi-channel acousto-optic modulator (AOM) comprising
a second beamsplitter to split the first front side laser light beam into a plurality of second front side laser light beams from the second beamsplitter,
a common acousto-optic medium configured to receive the plurality of front side laser light beams, and
a respective plurality of electrodes coupled to the common acousto-optic medium for each of the second front side laser light beams;

a plurality of radio frequency (RF) drivers each configured to generate respective RF drive signals for each of the plurality of electrodes;
an input telescope configured to direct the front side laser light beam to the second beamsplitter; and
an output telescope configured to direct the plurality of second front side laser light beams to a front side of the ion trap.

11. The laser system of claim 10 wherein the beam stabilizer comprises:
a position mirror optically aligned with the laser light beam from the laser source;
a servo motor configured to move the position mirror;
a position sensor configured to measure a positional displacement of the laser light beam; and
a servo controller coupled to the servo motor and configured to actuate the servo motor to stabilize the laser light beam based upon the position sensor.

12. The laser system of claim 10 further comprising a single channel amplitude leveling acousto-optic modulator (AOM) coupled between the laser source and the first beamsplitter; and wherein the beam stabilizer comprises:
a position mirror optically aligned with an output light beam from the single channel amplitude leveling AOM;
a servo motor configured to move the position mirror;
a position sensor configured to measure a positional displacement of the output light beam; and
a servo controller coupled to the servo motor and configured to actuate the servo motor to stabilize the output light beam based upon the position sensor.

13. The laser system of claim 10 wherein the beam stabilizer comprises:
an angle mirror optically aligned with the laser light beam from the laser source;
a servo motor configured to move the angle mirror;
an angle sensor configured to measure an angular displacement of the laser light beam; and
a servo controller coupled to the servo motor and configured to actuate the servo motor to stabilize the laser light beam based upon the angle sensor.

14. The laser system of claim 10 further comprising a single channel amplitude leveling acousto-optic modulator (AOM) coupled between the laser source and the first beamsplitter; and wherein the beam stabilizer comprises:
an angle mirror optically aligned with the output light beam from the single channel amplitude leveling AOM;
a servo motor configured to move the angle mirror;
an angle sensor configured to measure an angular displacement of the output laser light beam; and
a servo controller coupled to the servo motor and configured to actuate the servo motor to stabilize the output light beam based upon the angle sensor.

15. The laser system of claim 10 further comprising at least one turning mirror to direct th

Assignees

• Harris Corp

Inventors

• Morse Randall K
• Wasilousky Peter A
• Burberry Lee M
• Lange Michael R
• Logan Catheryn D
• Corey Christopher A

Classifications

• G02F1/113 Primary

  Circuit or control arrangements · CPC title

• G02F2203/50

  Phase-only modulation · CPC title