Abstract: The present invention concerns the use of hybrid metal-dielectric optical coatings as the end reflectors of laser cavities and/or in the mirror structures used in other optical resonators, such as Fabry-Perot tunable filters, along with the use of such Fabry-Perot tunable filters in wavelength swept sources such as lasers. Hybrid metal-dielectric optical coatings have reflectivity spectra that can be broader than pure dielectric coatings, offer optical reflectivities higher than metal, as high as pure dielectric coatings, eliminate mirror transmission that can cause parasitic light reflections, and use fewer layers and thus have lower mass and higher mechanical resonant frequency for movable mirror applications An important characteristic of these coatings concerns the non-reflected light. Pure dielectric coatings offer high reflectivity, while the non-reflected portion of the light is transmitted by the coating to the substrate, for example.

Abstract: The present invention concerns the use of hybrid metal-dielectric optical coatings as the end reflectors of laser cavities and/or in the mirror structures used in other optical resonators, such as Fabry-Perot tunable filters, along with the use of such Fabry-Perot tunable filters in wavelength swept sources such as lasers. Hybrid metal-dielectric optical coatings have reflectivity spectra that can be broader than pure dielectric coatings, offer optical reflectivities higher than metal, as high as pure dielectric coatings, eliminate mirror transmission that can cause parasitic light reflections, and use fewer layers and thus have lower mass and higher mechanical resonant frequency for movable mirror applications An important characteristic of these coatings concerns the non-reflected light. Pure dielectric coatings offer high reflectivity, while the non-reflected portion of the light is transmitted by the coating to the substrate, for example.

Abstract: The present invention concerns the use of hybrid metal-dielectric optical coatings as the end reflectors of laser cavities and/or in the mirror structures used in other optical resonators, such as Fabry-Perot tunable filters, along with the use of such Fabry-Perot tunable filters in wavelength swept sources such as lasers. Hybrid metal-dielectric optical coatings have reflectivity spectra that can be broader than pure dielectric coatings, offer optical reflectivities higher than metal, as high as pure dielectric coatings, eliminate mirror transmission that can cause parasitic light reflections, and use fewer layers and thus have lower mass and higher mechanical resonant frequency for movable mirror applications An important characteristic of these coatings concerns the non-reflected light. Pure dielectric coatings offer high reflectivity, while the non-reflected portion of the light is transmitted by the coating to the substrate, for example.

Abstract: The deposition controller controls a coating machine used in the deposition of the thin film coatings. The deposition controller is particularly useful for the deposition of multiple layers or co-deposition of multiple materials. The integrated system is a single hardware unit controlled by the software residing on the local computer. The single unit combines the functionality of a deposition controller, mass flow controller, quartz crystal controller, optical monitor chip change controller, and an optical monitor signal analyzer. The integrated system utilizes a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) for the purpose of controlling the deposition process. A run sheet file is used by the system to create a set of process parameters. The system also examines a run sheet file at the time of its opening for its integrity with respect to the minimum layer optical thickness requirement expressed in terms of QWOT (quarter wave optical thickness).