EP0327310A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Solid state microlaser
Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Filing: 1989-01-31
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-01-31
Abstract
Abstract A solid state gain medium (32) is disposed between two mirrors (34, 36) to form a resonant cavity, the cavity length selected so that the gain bandwidth (12, 14) of the gain medium is less than the frequency separation of the cavity modes (16-24). By selecting this cavity length, only a single longitudinal mode will oscillate when the laser operates in a single transverse mode. The microlaser is optically pumped by any appropriate source such as a semiconductor injection laser or laser array. Suitable gain media are Nd:YAG and Nd pentaphosphate.
Inventors
- 👤 Aram Mooradian
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 03:08
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/05; H01S3/06; H01S3/0627; H01S3/09; H01S3/091; H01S3/094; H01S3/0941; H01S3/09415; H01S3/02; H01S3/025; H01S3/0602; H01S3/0604; H01S3/08; H01S3/08018; H01S3/08022; H01S3/08031; H01S3/14; H01S3/16; H01S3/1601; H01S3/1603; H01S3/1611; H01S3/163; H01S3/164; H01S3/1643; H01S3/1688
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
49 words
A solid state, optically pumped microlaser (30) comprising a solid state gain medium (32) disposed between two mirrors (34, 36) characterised in that the distance between the mirrors is such that the gain bandwidth of the gain medium (32) is less than the frequency separation of the cavity modes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
49 words
A solid state, optically pumped microlaser (30) comprising a solid state gain medium (32) disposed between two mirrors (34, 36) characterised in that the distance between the mirrors is such that the gain bandwidth of the gain medium (32) is less than the frequency separation of the cavity modes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
50 words
A microlaser as claimed in Claim 1 in which the distance, ℓ , between the mirrors (34, 36) satisfies the inequality: ℓ<c/2nν g where c is the speed of light, n is the refractive index in the gain medium, and ν g is the gain bandwidth of the gain medium.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
A microlaser as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the mirrors (34, 36) are in the form of coatings deposited directly on opposing surfaces of the gain medium (32).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A microlaser as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the mirrors (34, 36) are separate elements bonded to opposing surfaces of the gain medium.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A microlaser as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the gain medium (32) is Nd:YAG.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
A microlaser as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4 in which the gain medium (32) is Nd pentaphosphate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
A microlaser as claimed in Claim 5 in which the separation between the mirrors (34, 36) is in the range of several hundred micrometres.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
A microlaser as claimed in Claim 6 in which the separation between the mirrors (34, 36) is in the range of 10-100 micrometres.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
A microlaser as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including a semiconductor diode laser (38) adjacent the microlaser for optically pumping the microlaser.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
A microlaser as claimed in Claim 9 in which the microlaser is bonded to the semiconductor diode laser (38).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
36 words
A microlaser as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the gain medium (32) and the mirrors (32,34) form a Fabry-Perot type resonator at the frequency at which the microlaser is optically pumped.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
35 words
A microlaser as claimed in any one of the preceding claims when dependent upon Claim 3 in which the coatings have high reflectivity at the wavelength at which the gain medium (32) is optically pumped.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
A microlaser as claimed in any one of the preceding claims when dependent upon Claim 9 in which the mirrors (32, 34) include dielectric coatings having high reflectivity at the semiconductor diode pump laser frequency.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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