6000 Vortex Series General Operation • 13
General Operation
Overview
The Vortex is a robust, narrow-linewidth, laser source. The system
consists of a laser controller, a laser head, and a laser cable. Each Vortex
laser head contains head-specific information so that it can be used
with any Vortex laser controller. This modular design allows you to
switch wavelengths simply by changing the laser head (heads are
available separately). The system can be operated manually, using the
front-panel controls, or remotely, using one of the computer interfaces.
What’s Inside
The Vortex laser is an external-cavity diode laser (ECDL) based on the
Littman-Metcalf design (see “Principles of Operation” on page 49). The
customer-selected wavelength is set and stabilized at the factory using
external optics, a diffraction grating, a mirror, and precision temper-
ature control. Fine wavelength tuning without mode hops is achieved
by rotating the mirror around a fixed rotation point using a piezo-
electric actuator. Laser output power is controlled by an ultra-low-
noise current source.
The controller contains the electronics for laser-current, laser-
temperature, and piezo-voltage control, as well as digital-interface
electronics. A dimensional drawing of the controller is located in
“Appendix I: Physical Specifications” on page 57. The temperature of
the laser cavity is set at the factory for optimum laser performance and
is not adjustable by the user, although you can read the temperature
using the computer interface (see “Computer Control” on page 29). The
Vortex6000.book Page 13 Tuesday, February 19, 2002 3:25 PM
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