Oscillators

Author: the photonics expert Dr. Rüdiger Paschotta (RP)

Definition: a device producing an oscillation – in contrast to an amplifier, for example

Category: article belongs to category laser devices and laser physics laser devices and laser physics

DOI: 10.61835/ieg Cite the article: BibTex plain text HTML Link to this page LinkedIn

A laser can be considered as a high-frequency optical oscillator (with optical frequencies normally being of the order of hundreds of terahertz) which consists of an optical amplifier (a laser gain medium) and an optical resonator for optical feedback.

In laser physics, the term laser oscillator is sometimes used for a laser device to distinguish it explicitly from an optical amplifier, where there is amplification by stimulated emission but no laser oscillation. Also, a pure oscillator is distinguished from an oscillator–amplifier combination. The term occurs e.g. within the terms master oscillator power amplifier and master oscillator fiber amplifier.

Similarly, an optical parametric oscillator is a device containing an optical parametric amplifier within an optical resonator. In contrast to a laser oscillator, one utilizes a kind of nonlinear amplification.

Besides, there are opto-electronic oscillators, generating trains of short light pulses.

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