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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9958710-B1
Application number	US-201615342357-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 3, 2016
Priority date	Nov 3, 2016
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

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

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A laser system comprising:
a laser source configured to generate a 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.

2. 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.

3. The laser system of claim 1 further comprising a single-channel AOM positioned in the light path of the back side laser light beam between the beamsplitter and the workpiece.

4. The laser system of claim 1 further comprising a single channel amplitude leveling AOM coupled between the laser source and the first beamsplitter.

5. 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.

6. The laser system of claim 5 wherein each RF driver is configured to drive the alternating electrodes with different phases within a range of 0° to 180°.

7. The laser system of claim 5 wherein an RF power level associated with each RF drive signal has a constant power.

8. The laser system of claim 1 wherein the second beamsplitter comprises a high efficiency diffractive optical element (DOE) and a set of telecentric beam forming optics associated therewith.

9. A laser system comprising:
a laser source configured to generate a 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, the second beamsplitter comprising a high efficiency diffractive optical element (DOE) and a set of telecentric beam forming optics associated therewith,
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 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;
an output telescope configured to direct the plurality of second front side laser light beams to a front side of the ion trap;
at least one turning mirror to direct the back side laser light beam from the first beamsplitter to the back side of the ion trap; and
a single-channel AOM positioned in the light path of the back side laser light beam between the beamsplitter and the ion trap.

10. The laser system of claim 9 further comprising a single channel amplitude leveling AOM coupled between the laser source and the first beamsplitter.

11. The laser system of claim 9 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.

12. The laser system of claim 11 wherein each RF driver is configured drive the alternating electrodes with different phases within a range of 0° to 180°.

13. The laser system of claim 11 wherein an RF power level associated with each RF drive signal has a constant power within ±0.1%.

14. A method comprising:
generating a laser light beam with a laser source;
splitting the laser light beam into a first front side laser light beam and a back side laser light beam for a back side of an ion trap using a first beamsplitter;
directing the front side laser light beam to a second beamsplitter using an input telescope; and
splitting the first front side laser light beam into a plurality of second front side laser light beams directed to a common acousto-optic medium using a second beamsplitter, wherein a respective plurality of electrodes is coupled to the acousto-optic medium for each of the second front side laser light beams;
directing the plurality of second front side laser light beams to a front side of the ion trap using an output telescope; and
generating respective RF drive signals for each of the plurality of electrodes using a plurality of radio frequency (RF) drivers.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising directing the back side laser light beam from the first beamsplitter to the back side of the ion trap using at least one turning mirror.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein a single-channel acousto-optic modulator (AOM) is positioned in the light path of the back side laser light beam between the beamsplitter and the workpiece.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein a single-channel amplitude leveling acousto-optic modulator (AOM) is coupled between the laser source and the first beamsplitter.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the electrodes comprise phased array transducer electrodes; and wherein generating the respective RF drive signals comprises generating the respective RF drive signal to drive alternating electrodes of respective phased array transducer electrodes with different phases.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein each drive signal is configured to drive the alternating electrodes with different phases within a range of 0° to 180°.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein an RF power level associated with each RF drive signal has a constant power.

Assignees

• Harris Corp

Inventors

• Morse Randall K
• Wasilousky Peter A
• Burberry Lee M
• Lange Michael R
• Logan Catheryn D
• Bentley Pat O

Classifications

• G02F1/11 Primary

  based on acousto-optical elements, e.g. using variable diffraction by sound or like mechanical waves (acousto-optical deflection G02F1/33) · CPC title

• G02F1/113

  Circuit or control arrangements · CPC title

• G02F3/00

  Optical logic elements; Optical bistable devices · CPC title

• H01S3/10

  Controlling the intensity, frequency, phase, polarisation or direction of the emitted radiation, e.g. switching, gating, modulating or demodulating · CPC title

• G02B27/1093

  for use with monochromatic radiation only, e.g. devices for splitting a single laser source · CPC title