Patent US2316408A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0358410A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0358410A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Low cost/power visible light solid state laser
Assignee: Trimble Inc
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Filing: 1989-08-31
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-08-31
Abstract
Abstract A compact, laser diode pumped, high efficiency, solid-state laser comprises an output coupler mirror (182) forming a front end of a laser cavity. A back end of the laser cavity is formed by a rear mirror (172) through which emissions from a laser diode (162) pass for pumping a laser chip (174) of stoichiometric lasing material. A frequency doubler chip (176) is positioned immediately adjacent the laser chip to double the frequency of light generated by the laser chip and thereby halve its wavelength. The laser chip is bonded to the frequency doubler chip by coupling material having a refractive index matched to the chips to nearly eliminate reflections at the bonded chip surfaces. Such bonding increases the effective Q of the laser cavity which receives the bonded combination of the laser chip and the doubler chip at a beam waist defined within the laser cavity by means of beam shaping with the laser chip being positioned to receive pumping energy from the laser diode through the rear mirror of the laser cavity. Spiking or peaking of the output laser light is effected by gain switching, phase modulation or by imparting vibratory motion to the bonded combination of the laser chip and the frequency doubler chip.
Inventors
- 👤 Pliny Scott Hawthorn
- 👤 Mark Durward Sobottke
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 10:07
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/02; H01S3/025; H01S3/09; H01S3/091; H01S3/094; H01S3/0941; H01S3/09415; H01S3/10; H01S3/106; H01S3/108; H01S3/109; H01S3/05; H01S3/06; H01S3/0602; H01S3/0604; H01S3/0627
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
168 words
A compact, laser diode pumped, high efficiency, solid-state laser comprising: a laser diode (100, 132, 162); output coupler means (112, 142, 182) including a mirrored surface (112A, 142, 182) forming a front end of a laser cavity (114); input mirror means (106, 136, 170) for forming a back end of said laser cavity (114, 144); a laser chip (104, 138, 174) of stoichiometric lasing material; a frequency doubler chip (108, 140, 176) positioned immediately adjacent said laser chip for doubling the frequency of light generated by said laser chip thereby halving its wavelength; and coupling material (110) for bonding said laser chip (104, 138, 174) to said doubler chip (108, 140, 176), said coupling material (110) having a refractive index matched to said chips to nearly eliminate reflections at the bonded surfaces thereof, the bonded combination of said laser chip and said doubler chip being positioned in said laser cavity (114, 144) to receive pumping energy from said laser diode (100, 132, 162) through said input mirror means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
168 words
A compact, laser diode pumped, high efficiency, solid-state laser comprising: a laser diode (100, 132, 162); output coupler means (112, 142, 182) including a mirrored surface (112A, 142, 182) forming a front end of a laser cavity (114); input mirror means (106, 136, 170) for forming a back end of said laser cavity (114, 144); a laser chip (104, 138, 174) of stoichiometric lasing material; a frequency doubler chip (108, 140, 176) positioned immediately adjacent said laser chip for doubling the frequency of light generated by said laser chip thereby halving its wavelength; and coupling material (110) for bonding said laser chip (104, 138, 174) to said doubler chip (108, 140, 176), said coupling material (110) having a refractive index matched to said chips to nearly eliminate reflections at the bonded surfaces thereof, the bonded combination of said laser chip and said doubler chip being positioned in said laser cavity (114, 144) to receive pumping energy from said laser diode (100, 132, 162) through said input mirror means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A solid-state laser as claimed in claim 1 wherein said laser diode comprises a single stripe laser diode (100, 132, 162).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
45 words
A solid-state laser as claimed in claim 1 or 2, comprising beam shaping means (102,112,134,142,162,182) for shaping the laser beam within said laser cavity (114,144) to form a beam waist substantially at the bonded combination of said laser chip (100,132,162) and said doubler chip (104,138,174).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
A solid-state laser as claimed in claim 3 wherein said laser chip (100,132,162) comprises stoichiometric neodymium compounds.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
A solid-state laser as claimed in claim 3 wherein said laser chip (100,132,162) comprises NPP.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
A solid-state laser as claimed in claim 5 wherein said doubler chip (104,138,174) comprises KTP.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
A solid-state laser as claimed in claim 3,4,5 or 6, wherein said input mirror means (106,136,170) is positioned immediately adjacent said laser chip.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A solid-state laser as claimed in claim 7 wherein said input mirror means (116) is formed on said laser chip.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
47 words
A solid-state laser as claimed in claim 7 wherein said input mirror means comprises a mirror chip (170) of thin glass which is directly bonded to said laser chip (174) by coupling material (110) having a refractive index matched to said laser chip and said mirror chip.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
A solid-state laser as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 9, comprising power peaking means (118,120) for generating spikes in the laser light which passes through said output coupler means (104).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
A solid-state laser as claimed in claim 10 wherein said power peaking means comprises gain switching of the laser diode used to pump said solid-state laser.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
A solid-state laser as claimed in claim 10 wherein said power peaking means comprises phase modulation.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
58 words
A solid-state laser as claimed in claim 10, 11 or 12, comprising support means (118) for movably mounting the bonded combination of said laser chip and said doubler chip, and wherein said power peaking means comprises vibratory means (120) for moving said support means and thereby the bonded combination of said laser chip(104) and said doubler chip (108).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
A solid-state laser as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 13, wherein said beam shaping means comprises said mirrored surface (112A) of said output coupler means (112,142,182) which is concave and oriented inwardly of said laser cavity (114,144).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
190 words
A compact, laser diode pumped, high efficiency, solid-state laser comprising: a hollow laser body (148, 164) having generally open first and second ends; a laser diode (132, 162) fitted into the first end of said laser body; output coupler means (142, 182) fitted into the second end of said laser body and including a mirrored surface forming a front end of a laser cavity (144) within said laser body; input mirror means (136, 170) supported within said laser body for forming a back end of said laser cavity (144); a laser chip (138, 174) of stoichiometric lasing material; a frequency doubler chip (140, 176) positioned immediately adjacent said laser chip (138, 174) for doubling the frequency of light generated by said laser chip thereby halving its wavelength; and coupling material (110) for bonding said laser chip to said doubler chip, said coupling material having a refractive index matched to said chips to nearly eliminate reflections at the bonded surfaces thereof, the bonded combination of said laser chip and said doubler chip being supported in said laser cavity to receive pumping energy from said laser diode through said input mirror means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
190 words
A compact, laser diode pumped, high efficiency, solid-state laser comprising: a hollow laser body (148, 164) having generally open first and second ends; a laser diode (132, 162) fitted into the first end of said laser body; output coupler means (142, 182) fitted into the second end of said laser body and including a mirrored surface forming a front end of a laser cavity (144) within said laser body; input mirror means (136, 170) supported within said laser body for forming a back end of said laser cavity (144); a laser chip (138, 174) of stoichiometric lasing material; a frequency doubler chip (140, 176) positioned immediately adjacent said laser chip (138, 174) for doubling the frequency of light generated by said laser chip thereby halving its wavelength; and coupling material (110) for bonding said laser chip to said doubler chip, said coupling material having a refractive index matched to said chips to nearly eliminate reflections at the bonded surfaces thereof, the bonded combination of said laser chip and said doubler chip being supported in said laser cavity to receive pumping energy from said laser diode through said input mirror means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
A solid-state laser as claimed in claim 15 further comprising lens means (134, 168) supported between said laser diode (132, 162) and said input mirror means (136, 170).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
A solid-state laser as claimed in claim 16 wherein said lens means comprises a spherical relay lens (134).
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
38 words
A solid-state laser as claimed in claim 15, 16 or 17 wherein said laser body comprises a mounting tube (148) which may be deformed to position said output means (142) to align said laser cavity (144) for lasing.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
A solid-state laser as claimed in claim 16,17 or 18, wherein said lens means comprises a GRIN relay lens (168).
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
109 words
A solid-state laser as claimed in claim 19 further comprising a cylindrical glass member (178) and wherein said GRIN relay lens (168) and said input mirror means (170) are bonded to one another and to said laser chip (174), and said cylindrical glass member (178) is bonded to and between said frequency doubler chip (174) and said output coupler means (182) to form a monolithic lasing element (166) which can be slidably positioned within the second end of said laser body (164) to maximize laser light passing through said output coupler means (182) and secured within the second end of said laser body (164) to maintain maximum laser light.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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