US4764930A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Multiwavelength laser source
Assignee: AMO Development LLC
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Filing: 1988-01-27
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Granted: 1988-08-16
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Expires: 2008-01-27
Abstract
Abstract A multiwavelength laser source for providing a plurality of pulsed laser beams comprises a plurality of laser diodes optically connected with an oscillator to establish a beam of pulses of monochromatic light. A dispersion line for spreading wavelengths in each pulse optically connects the oscillator to a regenerative amplifier. An electro-optical crystal in the regenerative amplifier establishes the repetition rate of pulses in the laser beam and a pulse compressor is optically connected to the regenerative amplifier to establish the duration of each pulse. The laser source may also include a frequency doubler which is optically connected to the output of the pulse compressor to split the laser beam into components having different wavelengths.
Inventors
- 👤 Josef F. Bille
- 👤 Stuart I. Brown
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 18:31
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/005; H01S3/0057; A; A61; A61F; A61F9/00; A61F9/007; A61F9/008; A61F9/00802; A61F9/00804; B; B23; B23K; B23K26/00; B23K26/02; B23K26/06; B23K26/062; B23K26/0622; B23K26/0624; H01S3/23; H01S3/2308; H01S3/2325; H01S3/235; A61F2009/00861; A61F2009/00872
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
78 words
A laser apparatus which comprises: an oscillator optically pumped by a laser diode for establishing a beam comprising a plurality of pulses of monochromatic light; a dispersion line for spreading wavelengths in said pulses and being optically connected to said oscillator to receive said pulses; a regenerative amplifier for amplifying said pulses and being optically connected to said dispersion line; and a pulse compressor optically connected to said regenerative amplifier for establishing a pulse duration for said beam.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
78 words
A laser apparatus which comprises: an oscillator optically pumped by a laser diode for establishing a beam comprising a plurality of pulses of monochromatic light; a dispersion line for spreading wavelengths in said pulses and being optically connected to said oscillator to receive said pulses; a regenerative amplifier for amplifying said pulses and being optically connected to said dispersion line; and a pulse compressor optically connected to said regenerative amplifier for establishing a pulse duration for said beam.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
A laser apparatus as cited in claim 1 comprising a plurality of laser diodes for pumping said oscillator, each of said laser diodes being optically connected to said oscillator.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
A laser apparatus as cited in claim 2 wherein said oscillator comprises an acousto-optic mode locker for generating said pulses.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
A laser apparatus as cited in claim 3 wherein said regenerative amplifier comprises means for establishing a repetition rate for said pulses.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
A laser apparatus as cited in claim 4 wherein said pulse compressor comprises means for varying the duration of each of said pulses received by said means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
A laser apparatus as cited in claim 5 wherein said means for establishing a repetition rate for said pulses is an electro-optical crystal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
A laser apparatus as cited in claim 6 wherein said means for varying pulse duration comprises a grating and a corner cube moveable relative to said grating to establish the pulse duration.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
A laser apparatus as cited in claim 7 further comprising a frequency doubler optically connected to said pulse compressor to provide a plurality of pulsed laser beams.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
A laser apparatus as cited in claim 8 wherein said dispersion line is a monomode optical fiber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
97 words
A multiwavelength laser apparatus which comprises: means including an active medium for originating a beam of light-frequency radiation pulses having a plurality of discrete wavelengths; means for spreading the wavelengths of said light-frequency radiation pulses, said spreading means optically connected to said originating means; means for setting the repetition rate of said light-frequency radiation pulses, said setting means being optically connected to said spreading means; and means for establishing the duration of each of said pulses, said duration establishing means being optically connected to said setting means such that a laser beam of compressed pulses is generated.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
97 words
A multiwavelength laser apparatus which comprises: means including an active medium for originating a beam of light-frequency radiation pulses having a plurality of discrete wavelengths; means for spreading the wavelengths of said light-frequency radiation pulses, said spreading means optically connected to said originating means; means for setting the repetition rate of said light-frequency radiation pulses, said setting means being optically connected to said spreading means; and means for establishing the duration of each of said pulses, said duration establishing means being optically connected to said setting means such that a laser beam of compressed pulses is generated.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
A laser apparatus as cited in claim 10 wherein said originating means is an oscillator.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
A laser apparatus as cited in claim 11 wherein said spreading means is a dispersion line.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
A laser apparatus as cited in claim 12 wherein said setting means is a regenerative amplifier.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
A laser apparatus as cited in claim 13 wherein said establishing means is a pulse compressor.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
A laser apparatus as cited in claim 14 wherein said oscillator comprises a YSGG:Cr:Nd:Er crystal for simultaneously lasing light with an infrared wavelength component and a visible wavelength component.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
A laser apparatus as cited in claim 15 wherein said originating means comprises an array of laser diodes and an acousto-optic mode locker.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
16 words
A laser apparatus as cited in claim 16 wherein said setting means comprises an electro-optical crystal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
A laser apparatus as cited in claim 17 further comprising a frequency doubler for halving the wavelengths of said light-frequency radiation pulses.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
A laser apparatus as cited in claim 18 further comprising means to select said visible wavelength component for internal ablation and select said infrared wavelength component for external ablation.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
81 words
a method for generating a laser beam of compressed pulses which comprises the steps of: (A) Directing monochromatic light through a mode locker to generate a beam of light-frequency radiation pulses; (B) Spreading the wavelengths of the light within each of said pulses for subsequent compression thereof; (C) Setting the repetition rate of said light-frequency radiation pulses to reduce the quiescent interval between said pulses; and (D) Compressing said beam by establishing the duration of each of said light-frequency radiation pulses.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
81 words
a method for generating a laser beam of compressed pulses which comprises the steps of: (A) Directing monochromatic light through a mode locker to generate a beam of light-frequency radiation pulses; (B) Spreading the wavelengths of the light within each of said pulses for subsequent compression thereof; (C) Setting the repetition rate of said light-frequency radiation pulses to reduce the quiescent interval between said pulses; and (D) Compressing said beam by establishing the duration of each of said light-frequency radiation pulses.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method for creating a laser beam as cited in claim 20 wherein said repetition rate is greater than ten thousand pulses per second.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method for creating a laser beam as cited in claim 20 wherein the duration of said light-frequency radiation pulses is less than forty picoseconds.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-08-16 | 1992-02-15 | 1992-08-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-08-16 | 1996-02-15 | 1996-08-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-08-16 | 2000-02-15 | 2000-08-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |