Abstract

Narrow-bandwidth optical sources are readily available. However, tunable narrow-bandwidth wide field-of-view optical filters are not available. The laser-excited optical filters (LEOFs) presented here are in principle tunable narrow-bandwidth wide field-of-view optical filters. These filters can simultaneously provide high-resolution (0.001-nm), wide field-of-view (±90°), high-quantum-efficiency, and electrically tunable optical filtering. These devices are ideally suited for extracting weak narrow-bandwidth signals buried in strong nonresonant optical background radiation. Potential applications of these filters include laser communications, laser radar, detection of Raman radiation, and atomic spectroscopy.

© 1988 Optical Society of America