Fast, Narrow Linewidth Near Infrared (NIR) / Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) Scanner

Rapid tuning of narrowband sources is inherently limited by the number of roundtrips required in the high-Q cavity, which is required for generation of a narrow lasing linewidth. We propose to break the cavity tuning/linewidth barrier presented by conventional reconfiguration of the physical cavity itself. In our proposed configuration, the linewidth, scanning speed, and tuning range are decoupled in a practical and realizable design using technology block similar to those that have been previously demonstrated. In the Phase II effort, we will develop the preliminary design from Phase I into an operational prototype of a new tunable source class. The primary technical objective of Phase II is the design and construction of an operational device capable of qualitatively faster scan speeds and wider spectral range than any other known technology. The secondary objective of Phase II is the demonstration of the utility of this new device in applications that are presently out of reach of present technology.