US4682340A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Apparatus for and method of extracting an output beam from a laser system
Assignee: General Dynamics Government Systems Corp
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Filing: 1986-04-14
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Granted: 1987-07-21
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Expires: 2006-04-14
Abstract
Abstract The output of a laser oscillator is doubly passed through a birefringement medium, a quarter-wave plate and a laser amplifier by reflection from a phase conjugate mirror, the birefringent medium being between the oscillator and the plate in the path of the initial and reflected oscillator output. The birefringent medium divides the oscillator output into a first set of orthogonal polarization components (rays) and refracts one of them at a first angle successively through the plate and amplifier for reflection from the mirror through the amplifier, plate and medium. The reflected ray is amplified and then divided by the medium into a second set of orthogonal ray components which exit the medium at different angles away from the oscillator. In another embodiment, a second quarter-wave plate is added between the amplifier and mirror, and in a third embodiment the amplifier is positioned between the oscillator and the birefringent medium. These designs represent a unique means of separating in angle the oscillator input beam and the phase-conjugated/amplified beam. This results in a physical positional separation of the two, which allows the latter beam to be readily extracted and utilized in a useful fashion, and prevents potentially damaging reflections from being fed back into the oscillator.
Inventors
- 👤 Timothy A. Dave
- 👤 Steve Guch, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 08:55
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/23; H01S3/2308; H01S3/2325; H01S3/2333; H01S3/005; H01S3/10; H01S3/10076
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
123 words
Apparatus for extracting an output beam from a laser system having a laser oscillator with an output, a phase conjugate mirror means spaced from said oscillator and aligned with the output of said oscillator to reflect said oscillator output in a direction back toward the oscillator, amplifying means aligned with said oscillator output between said oscillator and said mirror means, and at least one quarter-wave plate aligned with said oscillator output between said oscillator and said mirror means, the improvement comprising: a birefringent element between said plate and said oscillator and having a surface traversing reflected and unreflected portions of said output at acute angles thereto to divert at least part of the reflected portion of said oscillator output away from said oscillator.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
123 words
Apparatus for extracting an output beam from a laser system having a laser oscillator with an output, a phase conjugate mirror means spaced from said oscillator and aligned with the output of said oscillator to reflect said oscillator output in a direction back toward the oscillator, amplifying means aligned with said oscillator output between said oscillator and said mirror means, and at least one quarter-wave plate aligned with said oscillator output between said oscillator and said mirror means, the improvement comprising: a birefringent element between said plate and said oscillator and having a surface traversing reflected and unreflected portions of said output at acute angles thereto to divert at least part of the reflected portion of said oscillator output away from said oscillator.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said amplifying means is located between said plate and said mirror means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus according to claim 2 with a second quarter-wave plate aligned with said oscillator output between said amplifying means and said mirror means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said amplifying means is between said oscillator and said birefringent element, said apparatus including a polarizer between said plate and said mirror means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
134 words
Apparatus for extracting an output beam from a laser system including a laser oscillator having an output, and beam amplifying means, comprising in combination: mirror means spaced from said oscillator and aligned with said oscillator output to reflect said oscillator output in a direction back toward said oscillator; said amplifying means being positioned between said oscillator and said mirror means in alignment with said oscillator output to amplify said oscillator output; a quarter-wave plate disposed between said oscillator and said amplifying means and disposed to be traversed by at least a portion of the oscillator output propagating toward and being reflected from said mirror means; and birefrigent means disposed between said quarter-wave plate and said oscillator and traversing said oscillator output to divert the amplified portion of said oscillator output away from said oscillator.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
134 words
Apparatus for extracting an output beam from a laser system including a laser oscillator having an output, and beam amplifying means, comprising in combination: mirror means spaced from said oscillator and aligned with said oscillator output to reflect said oscillator output in a direction back toward said oscillator; said amplifying means being positioned between said oscillator and said mirror means in alignment with said oscillator output to amplify said oscillator output; a quarter-wave plate disposed between said oscillator and said amplifying means and disposed to be traversed by at least a portion of the oscillator output propagating toward and being reflected from said mirror means; and birefrigent means disposed between said quarter-wave plate and said oscillator and traversing said oscillator output to divert the amplified portion of said oscillator output away from said oscillator.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to claim 5 in which a second quarter-wave plate is aligned with said oscillator output and is disposed between said amplifier and said mirror.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus according to claim 5 in which said mirror means comprises a phase conjugate mirror.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
Apparatus according to claim 5 in which said birefringent means is a calcite prism.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
189 words
Apparatus for extracting an output beam from a laser system including a laser oscillator having an output, and beam amplifying means, comprising in combination: a phase conjugate mirror spaced from said oscillator and aligned with the output of said oscillator to reflect said output in the same path back toward said oscillator; said amplifying means being positioned between said oscillator and said mirror means in alignment with said oscillator output to amplify said output; a quarter-wave plate disposed between said amplifying means and said mirror means and positioned to be traversed by at least a portion of said oscillator output propagating toward and being reflected from said mirror means; a polarizer disposed between said quarter-wave plate and said mirror means and aligned with said output of said oscillator, and a birefringent prism between said amplifying means and said quarter-wave plate, and prism having external plane surfaces traversing said oscillator output and the reflected portion of said oscillator output, respectively, at least one of said surfaces forming an acute angle with said oscillator output and said reflected portion to refract said oscillator output in a direction away from said oscillator.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
189 words
Apparatus for extracting an output beam from a laser system including a laser oscillator having an output, and beam amplifying means, comprising in combination: a phase conjugate mirror spaced from said oscillator and aligned with the output of said oscillator to reflect said output in the same path back toward said oscillator; said amplifying means being positioned between said oscillator and said mirror means in alignment with said oscillator output to amplify said output; a quarter-wave plate disposed between said amplifying means and said mirror means and positioned to be traversed by at least a portion of said oscillator output propagating toward and being reflected from said mirror means; a polarizer disposed between said quarter-wave plate and said mirror means and aligned with said output of said oscillator, and a birefringent prism between said amplifying means and said quarter-wave plate, and prism having external plane surfaces traversing said oscillator output and the reflected portion of said oscillator output, respectively, at least one of said surfaces forming an acute angle with said oscillator output and said reflected portion to refract said oscillator output in a direction away from said oscillator.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
123 words
In a system comprising a laser oscillator having an output, a phase conjugate mirror disposed to reflect at least a portion of said output back toward said oscillator, and a quarter-wave plate and a laser beam amplifier in the propagation path of the oscillator output between said oscillator and said mirror, the improvment comprising: a birefringent medium disposed between said oscillator and said quarter-wave plate and positioned in the propagation path of said oscillator output and said reflected portion of said oscillator output, said medium having a plane surface disposed at an acute angle to a direction of propagation of said oscillator output and said reflected portion of said oscillator output to refract said reflected portion in a direction away from said oscillator.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
123 words
In a system comprising a laser oscillator having an output, a phase conjugate mirror disposed to reflect at least a portion of said output back toward said oscillator, and a quarter-wave plate and a laser beam amplifier in the propagation path of the oscillator output between said oscillator and said mirror, the improvment comprising: a birefringent medium disposed between said oscillator and said quarter-wave plate and positioned in the propagation path of said oscillator output and said reflected portion of said oscillator output, said medium having a plane surface disposed at an acute angle to a direction of propagation of said oscillator output and said reflected portion of said oscillator output to refract said reflected portion in a direction away from said oscillator.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
The system according to claim 10 in which said amplifier is between said quarter-wave plate and said mirror, and a second quarter-wave plate disposed between said amplifier and said mirror in alignment with the propagation path of said oscillator output.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
The system according to claim 11 in which said medium has a second plane surface opposite said first plane surface, said second surface traversing and being perpendicular to the propagation path of the oscillator output.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
120 words
A method of extracting an output from a laser system having a laser oscillator and a laser beam amplifying system, consisting of the steps of: directing the oscillator output through a birefringent prism and producing a first set of orthogonally polarized O and E rays propagating from said prism in different directions; passing one of said rays through at least one quarter-wave plate; reflecting said one of said rays with a phase conjugate mirror back toward said oscillator through said quarter-wave plate and said prism to form a second set of O and E rays propagating from said prism in different directions away from said oscillator; and utilizing one of said second set of rays as said laser system output.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
120 words
A method of extracting an output from a laser system having a laser oscillator and a laser beam amplifying system, consisting of the steps of: directing the oscillator output through a birefringent prism and producing a first set of orthogonally polarized O and E rays propagating from said prism in different directions; passing one of said rays through at least one quarter-wave plate; reflecting said one of said rays with a phase conjugate mirror back toward said oscillator through said quarter-wave plate and said prism to form a second set of O and E rays propagating from said prism in different directions away from said oscillator; and utilizing one of said second set of rays as said laser system output.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method according to claim 13 with the additional step of amplifying said one set of said rays.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
131 words
A method of extracting the output of a laser system having a laser oscillator and a laser amplifying means, consisting of the steps of: directing the oscillator output through said amplifying means and a birefringent prism and producing a first set of orthogonally polarized O and E rays propagating from said prism in different directions; passing one of said first set of rays through a quarter-wave plate and a polarizer; reflecting said one of said first set of rays with a phase-conjugate mirror back through said polarizer and quarter-wave plate and said prism to form a second set of O and E rays propagating from said prism in different directions away from said oscillator; and amplifying one of said second set of rays to produce the output from said laser system.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
131 words
A method of extracting the output of a laser system having a laser oscillator and a laser amplifying means, consisting of the steps of: directing the oscillator output through said amplifying means and a birefringent prism and producing a first set of orthogonally polarized O and E rays propagating from said prism in different directions; passing one of said first set of rays through a quarter-wave plate and a polarizer; reflecting said one of said first set of rays with a phase-conjugate mirror back through said polarizer and quarter-wave plate and said prism to form a second set of O and E rays propagating from said prism in different directions away from said oscillator; and amplifying one of said second set of rays to produce the output from said laser system.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4441186A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1990-07-20 | 1991-01-19 | 1991-07-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-07-20 | 1995-01-19 | 1995-07-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-07-20 | 1999-01-19 | 1999-07-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |