US5088103A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Room-temperature, flashpumped, 2.09 micron solid state laser
Assignee: United States Department of the Navy
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Filing: 1990-04-30
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Granted: 1992-02-11
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Expires: 2010-04-30
Abstract
Abstract A room temperature solid state laser for producing a laser emission at a wavelength of substantially 2.09 microns is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the laser includes: a laser cavity defined by first and second reflective elements opposing each other on a common axis to form a path therebetween; a laser crystal disposed in the laser cavity, the laser crystal having a host material capable of accepting Cr 3+ sensitizer ions, Tm 3+ sensitizer ions and Ho 3+ activator ions; an amount of Cr 3+ sensitizer ions between about 0.3% and about 2% dispersed within the host material; an amount of Tm 3+ sensitzer ions between about 3% and about 12% dispersed within the host material; and an amount of Ho 3+ activator ions between about 0.1% and about 0.7% dispersed within the host material; and flashlamp and means for exciting the laser crystal to produce a laser emission at substantially 2.09 microns with a slope efficiency of at least 4%, and preferably of at least 5%.
Inventors
- 👤 Leon Esterowitz
- 👤 Gregory J. Quarles
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 11:49
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/14; H01S3/16
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
165 words
A room temperature solid state laser comprising: a laser cavity defined by first and second reflective elements opposing each other on a common axis to form a reflective path therebetween; a laser crystal disposed in said laser cavity, said laser crystal having a host material capable of accepting Cr 3+ sensitizer ions, Tm 3+ sensitizer ions and Ho 3+ activator ions, an amount of Cr 3+ sensitizer ions between about 0.3% and about 2% dispersed within said host material, an amount of Tm 3+ sensitizer ions between about 3% and about 12% dispersed within said host material, and an amount of Ho 3+ activator ions between about 0.1% and about 0.7% dispersed within said host material; and flashlamp means for exciting said laser crystal to produce a laser emission at substantially 2.09 microns; and a predetermined one of said first and second reflective elements outputting a portion of said laser emission at substantially 2.09 microns when said laser crystal is excited by said flashlamp means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
165 words
A room temperature solid state laser comprising: a laser cavity defined by first and second reflective elements opposing each other on a common axis to form a reflective path therebetween; a laser crystal disposed in said laser cavity, said laser crystal having a host material capable of accepting Cr 3+ sensitizer ions, Tm 3+ sensitizer ions and Ho 3+ activator ions, an amount of Cr 3+ sensitizer ions between about 0.3% and about 2% dispersed within said host material, an amount of Tm 3+ sensitizer ions between about 3% and about 12% dispersed within said host material, and an amount of Ho 3+ activator ions between about 0.1% and about 0.7% dispersed within said host material; and flashlamp means for exciting said laser crystal to produce a laser emission at substantially 2.09 microns; and a predetermined one of said first and second reflective elements outputting a portion of said laser emission at substantially 2.09 microns when said laser crystal is excited by said flashlamp means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The laser of claim 1 wherein: said host material is selected from the group consisting of YAG, YAlO, YGG, YSAG, YSGG, GGG, GSAG, GSGG, and LLGG.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The laser of claim 1 wherein: said host material is selected from the group consisting of YAG, YSAG and YSGG.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
The laser of claim 3 wherein: said host material is doped with an amount of Cr 3+ sensitizer ions between about 0.3% and about 1.3%, with an amount of Tm 3+ sensitizer ions between about 4.5% and about 7.5%, and with an amount of Ho 3+ activator ions between about 0.25% and about 0.5%.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
11 words
The laser of claim 1 wherein: said host material is YAG.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
54 words
The laser of claim 5 wherein: said host material is doped with an amount of Cr 3+ sensitizer ions between about 0.4% and about 0.9%, with an amount of Tm 3+ sensitizer ions between about 5% and about 6%, and with an amount of Ho 3+ activator ions between about 0.25% and about 0.5%.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
22 words
The laser of claim 1 wherein: said flashlamp means is a pulsed flashlamp for applying pulses of light to said laser crystal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
13 words
The laser of claim 1 wherein: said flashlamp means is a xenon flashlamp.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
167 words
The laser of claim 1 wherein: said Cr 3+ , Tm 3+ and Ho 3+ doped laser crystal is responsive to light from said flashlamp means for absorbing that light in the 4 T 1 and 4 T 2 levels of said Cr 3+ sensitizer ions, resulting in a nonradiative transfer of the excitation from the thermally mixed 4 T 2 / 2 E levels of said Cr 3+ sensitizer ions to the 3 F 3 level of said Tm 3+ sensitizer ions and a cross-relaxation among said Tm 3+ sensitizer ions to the 3 F 4 level, a transfer of energy from the 3 F 4 level of said Tm 3+ sensitizer ions to populate the 5 I 7 upper laser level of said Ho 3+ activator ions to enable said laser crystal to lase at the laser transition from the 5 I 7 level to the 5 I 8 level of said Ho 3+ activator ions to produce said laser emission at substantially 2.09 microns.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
81 words
The laser of claim 1 wherein: said laser crystal is substantially in the form of a cylindrical laser rod whose long dimension is along the cylinder axis; and said flashlamp means is a flashlamp having a long dimension along a first axis which is substantially parallel to said cylinder axis of said cylindrical laser rod for enabling said Cr 3+ sensitizer ions in said cylindrical laser rod to absorb light from said flashlamp along the long dimension of said laser rod.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
The laser of claim 10 wherein: said host material in said laser rod is selected from the group consisting of YAG, YSAG and YSGG.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
54 words
The laser of claim 11 wherein: said host material is doped with an amount of Cr 3+ sensitizer ions between about 0.3% and about 1.3%, with an amount of Tm 3+ sensitizer ions between about 4.5% and about 7.5%, and with an amount of Ho 3+ activator ions between about 0.25% and about 0.5%.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
The laser of claim 10 wherein: said host material in said laser rod is YAG.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
55 words
The laser of claim 13 wherein: said YAG host material is doped with an amount of Cr 3+ sensitizer ions between about 0.4% and about 0.9%, with an amount of Tm 3+ sensitizer ions between about 5% and about 6%, and with an amount of Ho 3+ activator ions between about 0.25% and about 0.5%.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4701928A
Cited
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| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-02-10 | 1995-08-12 | 1996-02-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-02-10 | 1999-08-12 | 2000-02-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
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