Patent US3813613A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3813613A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Laser employing a metallic pentaphosphate
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1973-04-02
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Granted: 1974-05-28
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Expires: 1993-04-02
Abstract
Abstract There are disclosed various embodiments of a laser in which the dielectric active medium is a rare earth pentaphosphate, for example, neodymium pentaphosphate. The neodymium pentaphosphate laser uses a crystal that is smaller than would be physically possible in prior art neodymium lasers. Another laser of this type employs a mixed crystal of neodymium pentaphosphate and lanthanum pentaphosphate and has the unusual property that no resonator is needed other than its naturally grown end surfaces. Both pulsed and continuous-wave lasers of this type have been operated. The crystals useful in the new lasers are practically insoluble in the more common solvents, are typically transparent from the ultraviolet into the far infrared except for the metal''s absorption bands and have higher fluorescence efficiencies and narrower linewidths than would be expected for materials with such a high concentration of fluorescent ions.
Inventors
- 👤 H Danielmeyer
- 👤 H Weber
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 12:31
CPC Classifications
C; C09; C09K; C09K11/00; C09K11/08; C09K11/0855; C01; C01B; C01B25/00; C01B25/16; C01B25/26; C01B25/38; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S117/00; Y10S117/90
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
21 words
A laser according to claim 1 in which the active medium consists essentially of a single crystal of neodymium pentaphosphate (NdP5O14).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
24 words
A laser according to claim 1 in which the active medium consists essentially of a single-crystal mixture of neodymium and lanthanum pentaphosphates (NdzLa1 zP5O14).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
A laser according to claim 2 in which the pumping means comprises a tunable dye laser, said dye laser being tuned to operate at 0.58 micrometers, the wavelength of one of the strong absorption bands of said neodymium pentaphosphate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
84 words
A laser according to claim 4 in which the resonating means comprises a pair of reflectors disposed about the single crystal of neodymium pentaphosphate to define a resonator axis along which the coherent radiation propagates and the tunable dye laser includes a separate optical resonator having an axis along which the dye laser radiation propagates, said resonator being coupled to said resonating means for end pumping of the crystal, so that the latter radiation propagates along said resonator axis of said pair of reflectors.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
A laser according to claim 4 in which the resonating means has a resonator axis along which the coherent radiation is repeatedly passed through the neodymium phosphate crystal, said crystal having a dimension along said axis that is substantially smaller than any comparable dimension in any prior operable laser of a solid state active medium therein containing neodymium active ions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
64 words
A laser according to claim 1 in which the resonating means has a resonator axis along which the coherent radiation is repeatedly passed through the active medium, said active medium having a dimension along said axis that is substantially smaller than any comparable dimension in any prior operable laser of a solid state active medium therein containing active ions of the rare earth element.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
76 words
A laser according to claim 1 in which the active medium consists essentially of a single-crystal mixture of neodymium and lanthanum pentaphosphates in nearly equal proportions approximating the formula Nd0.5La0.5P5O14, the resonating means comprising substantially parallel surfaces as naturally grown of said single-crystal mixture, the pumping means comprising a tunable dye laser coupled to the crystal to direct its output dye laser beam essentially normal to said surfaces and tuned to a wavelength of 0.58 micrometers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
A laser according to claim 8 in which the single-crystal mixture has a smaller dimension between said surfaces than any comparable dimension in any prior operable laser of a solid state active medium therein containing neodymium active ions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
A laser according to claim 9 in the single-crystal mixture has a dimension between said surfaces substantially less than 1 Millimeter.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-05-27 | 1977-11-26 | 1978-05-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-05-27 | 1981-11-26 | 1982-05-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-05-27 | 1985-11-26 | 1986-05-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |