LightSmyth’s family of flat-substrate focusing gratings are designed foruse with external-cavity lasers. The gratings focus optical input signals whilesimultaneously spectrally dispersing them. The focusing function isincorporated into the gratings via holographic design principles using curvedand variably-spaced grating lines. Integrating focus function with spectraldispersion through holography rather than by use of curved substrates or lensesreduces system component count and facilitates miniaturization.
Flat-substrate focusing gratings are also relevant to a broad range ofapplications in spectroscopy and general photonics. For example, fiber coupledminiature spectrometers may be build with minimum number of components: inputfiber, focusing grating and output detector array. Such spectrometer may providespectral coverage of several hundred nanometers and nm-level resolution on lessthan 15 x 15 mm footprint.
LightSmyth’s flat-substrate focusing gratings are optimized forimplementation in external-cavity diode laser (ECDL) systems where they providefrequency-selective feedback and thus laser frequency stabilization andlinewidth narrowing. The gratings are designed for ECDLs employing the Littrowconfiguration and focus the first-order diffracted beam back toward the laserproviding tunable locking feedback. Grating focal lengths are short (3.75 mm)in order to facilitate large longitudinal mode spacing and to enable convenientwide-range single-mode tuning.
Grating groove depth and duty cycle are optimized to provide maximaldiffraction efficiency. Each grating is a master, free from replication flaws.Grating surfaces are cleanable and abrasion-resistant.
The focal length of allgratings is 3.75 mm. All gratings are designed to provide laser feedback viathe first diffraction order. The working distance between grating and laserdiode front facet is d = 7.5 mm for all gratings. Silicon substrate has athickness of 0.73mm. Substrate height and width tolerances are 0.3 mm. Gratingsubstrate: single crystal silicon. Grating coating: aluminum (other coatingtypes are available at additional charge).
Part Number | Design | Design Input | Incidence | Approx. Line | Size 1 |
SCG-405S-0603A-Al | 405 | s | 40 ° | 3175 | 6 mm × 3 mm |
SCG-405P-0306A-Al | 405 | p | 45 ° | 3640 | 3 mm × 6 mm |
SCG-635S-0603A-Al | 635 | s | 40 ° | 2028 | 6 mm × 3 mm |
SCG-635P-0306A-Al | 635 | p | 65 ° | 2857 | 3 mm × 6 mm |
SCG-780P-0306A-Al | 780 | p | 60 ° | 2222 | 3 mm × 6 mm |