US5043996A — Monlithic nonplanar ring oscillator and method

Claim 1

Independent Claim 188 words

A monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator, comprising: an optically isotropic solid-state laser body having an index of refraction equal to or less than the square root of three for propagating laser radiation about a nonplanar ring path internal to said laser body and a coupler for input of pump radiation and output of a portion of said laser radiation from said laser body; six reflection means for defining said non-planar ring light path, said six reflection means including five internal reflection means and one reflection at said coupler; means for propagating said laser radiation about said ring light path so that said ring light path comprises six reflections, one at each of said six reflection means, said six reflection nonplanar ring light path being induced by the geometry of said laser body; and means for applying a magnetic field to said laser body to induce non-reciprocal polarization rotation; said non-planar geometry of said laser body inducing reciprocal polarization rotation, wherein said non-reciprocal and said reciprocal polarization rotations and a partial polarizer means positioned in said nonplanar ring light path combining to produce unidirectional wave oscillation of said laser radiation.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 188 words

A monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator, comprising: an optically isotropic solid-state laser body having an index of refraction equal to or less than the square root of three for propagating laser radiation about a nonplanar ring path internal to said laser body and a coupler for input of pump radiation and output of a portion of said laser radiation from said laser body; six reflection means for defining said non-planar ring light path, said six reflection means including five internal reflection means and one reflection at said coupler; means for propagating said laser radiation about said ring light path so that said ring light path comprises six reflections, one at each of said six reflection means, said six reflection nonplanar ring light path being induced by the geometry of said laser body; and means for applying a magnetic field to said laser body to induce non-reciprocal polarization rotation; said non-planar geometry of said laser body inducing reciprocal polarization rotation, wherein said non-reciprocal and said reciprocal polarization rotations and a partial polarizer means positioned in said nonplanar ring light path combining to produce unidirectional wave oscillation of said laser radiation.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 77 words

The monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator of claim 1 comprises means for inducing single frequency unidirectional traveling wave oscillation of said laser radiation, including partial polarizer means for producing high loss in one direction of propagation and low loss in the other direction of propagation of said light in said nonplanar ring path, said single frequency unidirectional oscillation being produced by the combined effects of said nonplanar ring path, the applied magnetic field and said partial polarizer means.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 19 words

The monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator of claim 1 wherein the partial polarization means includes being located at said coupler.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 33 words

The monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator of claim 1 further comprises: means for producing a large differential loss resonator with reduced astigmatism in media with index of refraction greater than square root of 3.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 112 words

A monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator, comprising: a solid state laser body having an index of refraction equal to or less than the square root of three for propagating laser radiation about a nonplanar ring path internal to said laser body and a coupler for output of a portion of said emitted laser radiation from said laser body; 2N reflection means, where N is an integer greater than 2, for defining said nonplanar ring path, said 2N reflection means including 2N-1 total internal reflection means and said coupler; and means for propagating said laser radiation about said nonplanar ring so that said light undergoes 2N reflections as it propagates around the nonplanar ring.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 112 words

A monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator, comprising: a solid state laser body having an index of refraction equal to or less than the square root of three for propagating laser radiation about a nonplanar ring path internal to said laser body and a coupler for output of a portion of said emitted laser radiation from said laser body; 2N reflection means, where N is an integer greater than 2, for defining said nonplanar ring path, said 2N reflection means including 2N-1 total internal reflection means and said coupler; and means for propagating said laser radiation about said nonplanar ring so that said light undergoes 2N reflections as it propagates around the nonplanar ring.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 31 words

The monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator of claim 5 wherein said propagation means provides high differential loss while simultaneously providing unidirectional operation of said light ring in its lowest overall loss state.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 25 words

The monolithic nonplanar oscillator of claim 6 wherein said coupler is a multilayer dielectric coated surface configured as a partial polarizer, thereby facilitating unidirectional propagation.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 36 words

A monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator of claim 7 for propagating laser light about a nonplanar ring, said oscillator being fabricated out of a material having an index of refraction less than the square root of 3.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 14 words

The monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator of claim 8 wherein the material is laser glass.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 59 words

A monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator having 2N reflection means where N is an integer greater than 2 for propagating laser radiation internally around said ring oscillator, one of said reflection means being an output coupler, each of said reflection means having a retardance value, the sum of said retardance values being approximately equal to an integer multiple of 360°.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 59 words

A monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator having 2N reflection means where N is an integer greater than 2 for propagating laser radiation internally around said ring oscillator, one of said reflection means being an output coupler, each of said reflection means having a retardance value, the sum of said retardance values being approximately equal to an integer multiple of 360°.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 24 words

The monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator of claim 10 wherein the output coupler is a multi-layered dielectric coated outcoupler that functions as a partial polarizer.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 25 words

The monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator of claim 11 wherein all of said reflections which are not at the output coupler are polarization independent high reflections.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 99 words

A monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator having a plane of mirror symmetry containing a first vertex point that serves as an output coupler and a second opposing vertex point, said plane of mirror symmetry being perpendicular to a plane of incidence of said output coupler, said ring oscillator configured to establish a six reflection light path in which all but one of the reflections are total internal reflections, the remaining reflection being at said output coupler which is coated with a multilayer dielectric; the sum of the retardances at each of these reflections is approximately an integer multiple of 360°.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 99 words

A monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator having a plane of mirror symmetry containing a first vertex point that serves as an output coupler and a second opposing vertex point, said plane of mirror symmetry being perpendicular to a plane of incidence of said output coupler, said ring oscillator configured to establish a six reflection light path in which all but one of the reflections are total internal reflections, the remaining reflection being at said output coupler which is coated with a multilayer dielectric; the sum of the retardances at each of these reflections is approximately an integer multiple of 360°.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 81 words

The monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator of claim 13 further comprises: means for applying a magnetic field; and a geometry such that an optical equivalent waveplate for one direction of propagation about said nonplanar ring light path has its principal axes aligned with the principal axes of said output coupler, and the sum of retardance of the optical equivalent waveplate in the direction opposite the direction of propagation and a retardance of the output coupler is approximately an integer multiple of 360°.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 56 words

A monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator of claim 14 wherein the optically equivalent waveplate further comprises: partial polarizer and a rotation angle between the principal axes of a misaligned optical equivalent waveplate and the principal axes of the output coupler for maximizing the loss difference between the two directions of propagation in said nonplanar ring light path.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 21 words

The monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator of claim 14 wherein the index of refraction of laser medium is smaller than root 3.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 15 words

The monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator of claim 16 wherein the laser medium is laser glass.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 27 words

The monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator of claim 14 wherein the laser medium is Nd:YAG and the angle of incidence on the output coupler is smaller than 28.14°.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 28 words

The monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator of claim 14 wherein the laser medium is Nd:GGG and the angle of incidence on the output coupler is smaller than approximately 21.4°.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 70 words

A monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator embodied in a material having an index of refraction less than the square root of three and having 2N reflection means, where N is an integer greater than 2 for defining a 2N reflection nonplanar ring light path; at least one of said 2N reflection means being a polarization independent high reflector and at least one of said 2N reflection means being an output coupler.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 70 words

A monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator embodied in a material having an index of refraction less than the square root of three and having 2N reflection means, where N is an integer greater than 2 for defining a 2N reflection nonplanar ring light path; at least one of said 2N reflection means being a polarization independent high reflector and at least one of said 2N reflection means being an output coupler.

Claim 26

Independent Claim 101 words

A method for a monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator, comprising the steps of: providing a solid-state laser body of material having an index of refraction less than the square root of three for propagating a laser light about a ring internal to said laser body and a coupler for output of a portion of said light from said laser body; propagating said laser light about 2N reflection means, so that said laser light undergoes 2N reflections as it propagates around said ring, where N is an integer greater than 2, said 2reflection means including 2N-1 total internal reflection means and said coupler.

Claim 27

Independent Claim 101 words

A method for a monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator, comprising the steps of: providing a solid-state laser body of material having an index of refraction less than the square root of three for propagating a laser light about a ring internal to said laser body and a coupler for output of a portion of said light from said laser body; propagating said laser light about 2N reflection means, so that said laser light undergoes 2N reflections as it propagates around said ring, where N is an integer greater than 2, said 2reflection means including 2N-1 total internal reflection means and said coupler.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 38 words

The method of claim 21 for a monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator wherein said 2N reflection propagation step further comprises providing high differential loss while simultaneously providing unidirectional operation of said light ring in its lowest overall loss state.

Claim 29

Independent Claim 167 words

A method for a monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator comprising the steps of: propagating laser radiation within a laser body about a six reflection nonplanar ring light path, said six reflections including five total internal reflections and one reflection at an output coupler, inducement of said six reflection nonplanar ring light path being facilitated by the geometry of said laser body; applying a magnetic field to said laser body to induce non-reciprocal polarization rotation, said nonplanar ring light path inducing reciprocal polarization rotation, applying said magnetic field in combination with said nonplanar ring light path and a partial polarizer located in said ring light path to create unidirectional wave oscillation in said laser radiation; providing an optical equivalent waveplate for one direction of propagation that has its principal axes aligned with the principal axes of said output coupler, the sum of the retardance of said optical equivalent waveplate for the direction opposite of propagation and the retardance of said output coupler being approximately an integer multiple of 360°.

Claim 30

Independent Claim 167 words

A method for a monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator comprising the steps of: propagating laser radiation within a laser body about a six reflection nonplanar ring light path, said six reflections including five total internal reflections and one reflection at an output coupler, inducement of said six reflection nonplanar ring light path being facilitated by the geometry of said laser body; applying a magnetic field to said laser body to induce non-reciprocal polarization rotation, said nonplanar ring light path inducing reciprocal polarization rotation, applying said magnetic field in combination with said nonplanar ring light path and a partial polarizer located in said ring light path to create unidirectional wave oscillation in said laser radiation; providing an optical equivalent waveplate for one direction of propagation that has its principal axes aligned with the principal axes of said output coupler, the sum of the retardance of said optical equivalent waveplate for the direction opposite of propagation and the retardance of said output coupler being approximately an integer multiple of 360°.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 62 words

The method for a monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator of claim 23 further comprises the step of: providing said output coupler which has a partial polarizer strength based on a rotation angle between the principal axes of a misaligned optical equivalent waveplate and a principal axes of the output coupler in order to maximize the loss difference between the two directions of propagation.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 30 words

The method for a monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator of claim 24 further comprises the step of: reducing astigmatism in media with index of refraction greater than square root of 3.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 33 words

The method for a monolithic nonplanar ring oscillator of claim 23 further comprises the step of: producing said laser radiation in a material having an index of refraction less than square root 3.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1994-08-26	1995-02-25	1995-08-27	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1998-08-26	1999-02-25	1999-08-27	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2002-08-26	2003-02-25	2003-08-27	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Monlithic nonplanar ring oscillator and method

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