lyot filter/birefringence tuner

[Laser57]

A friend is working on a project and needs a VIS transmissive lyot filter/birefringence tuner which uses refractance to tune the filter. Does anyone have one they might sell, or know where one can be had surplus? This is to be used like a diffraction grating is used in a dye laser to tune a narrow band of wavelength out of a larger bandwidth which can pass through it to another optic, except transmissive instead of reflective.

[mixedgas]

I have one, mounted, intracavity type, not the astronomy type, , with micrometer, green-yellow-orange- red at Brewster's Angle for one polarization, but my initial cost is/was rather expensive. Ie 400$ in 1990s dollars. Its ITAR, so shipping outside the US will get me in trouble, and thus will NOT happen. Within US, Ok..

Intracavity means it has a massive loss for one polarization except for the wavelength selected.

Astronomy Lyots are just what you would think, a true out of the box tunable filter.

Steve

[Laser57]

Steve,

If you have some extra time and not much trouble, could you take a photo of it, I'm curious how those are set up, or a manufacture name and model number, perhaps I can find a photo of it online. I can legally get ITAR items here as a US citizen, all I need to do is fill out and sign the appropriate form stating my use and swear I won't use it for non-US purposes to allow it. Seems so stupid how once an item is put on that ITAR list, they remain on it for decades, even though the same or higher technology is now available from Russia and China etc. We do live in interesting times, don't we.

Chris

[mixedgas]

I found one I can sell to you for less and ship to you with reasonable paperwork.

This one is from a Lexel Aurora Dye laser pumped by a integral 150 or 295 Head. Lexel made hotter lasers for OEMs, hence the two in front of the 95, aka an 8100 or 8900 tube core. So green yellow orange red would be the tuning region. Auroras were medical lasers which is why you never heard of them.

Pictures to follow.

Steve

[mixedgas]

Here is the first set of pics. I do not have the dye laser, just the tuner. Tuner is marked by the arrow and note that the plate is at Brewsters Angle to the beam. The actual optic is on a rotation stage driven by the micrometer. There is a round cover cap over the optic. The beam angles downward through a hole in the side of the cap.

Steve

[Laser57]

Steve,

Nice looking, is that a reflective diffraction grating, or a transmissive optic? I believe you are tracking what I was looking for, just double checking.

Chris

[mixedgas]

It is a transmissive optic.