US5166941A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Single mode pulsed dye laser oscillator
Assignee: United States Department of Energy
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Filing: 1986-09-25
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Granted: 1992-11-24
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Expires: 2006-09-25
Abstract
Abstract A single mode pulsed dye laser oscillator is disclosed. The dye laser oscillator provides for improved power efficiency by reducing the physical dimensions of the overall laser cavity, which improves frequency selection capability.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard P. Hackel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 16:56
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/10; H01S3/105; H01S3/1055; H01S3/14; H01S3/20; H01S3/213
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
220 words
A single mode pulsed dye laser oscillator comprising dye cell means located within a laser cavity and responsive to a pulsed metal vapor laser input beam for generating and propagating an amplified pulsed laser beam having a predetermined wavelength lengthwise through said cavity, beam expander means for expanding said beam to form an expanded laser beam where the expansion factor is approximately forty, said expander means including a pair of first and second prisms optically arranged to provide for expansion of said amplified laser beam wherein the first of said prisms incident to said laser beam is substantially smaller than the second of said prisms and wherein each of said pair of prisms has an angle of incidence to said amplified laser beam of approximately 83.1 degrees, grating means reflectively positioned for reflecting a predetermined bandwidth of said expanded laser beam lengthwise back through said cavity, and etalon means for selecting a further narrower bandwidth from said reflected expanded beam to form a single mode pulsed laser beam, wherein said expanded beam has an exit angle to each of said pair of prisms away from the orthogonal axis of approximately 9.7 degrees with respect to the orthogonal axis in order to avoid generating extraneous modes of operation, and wherein the optical length of said laser cavity is approximately 117 millimeters.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
220 words
A single mode pulsed dye laser oscillator comprising dye cell means located within a laser cavity and responsive to a pulsed metal vapor laser input beam for generating and propagating an amplified pulsed laser beam having a predetermined wavelength lengthwise through said cavity, beam expander means for expanding said beam to form an expanded laser beam where the expansion factor is approximately forty, said expander means including a pair of first and second prisms optically arranged to provide for expansion of said amplified laser beam wherein the first of said prisms incident to said laser beam is substantially smaller than the second of said prisms and wherein each of said pair of prisms has an angle of incidence to said amplified laser beam of approximately 83.1 degrees, grating means reflectively positioned for reflecting a predetermined bandwidth of said expanded laser beam lengthwise back through said cavity, and etalon means for selecting a further narrower bandwidth from said reflected expanded beam to form a single mode pulsed laser beam, wherein said expanded beam has an exit angle to each of said pair of prisms away from the orthogonal axis of approximately 9.7 degrees with respect to the orthogonal axis in order to avoid generating extraneous modes of operation, and wherein the optical length of said laser cavity is approximately 117 millimeters.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
A single mode pulsed dye laser oscillator as in claim 1 further including output coupling means for coupling said expanded narrowed beam out of said laser cavity.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
230 words
A single mode dye laser oscillator comprising: dye cell means located within a laser cavity and responsive to a laser input beam for generating and propagating an amplifier pulsed laser beam having a predetermined wavelength lengthwise through said cavity, beam expander means for expanding said beam to form an expanded laser beam where the expansion factor is approximately forty said expander means including a pair of first and second prisms optically arranged to provide for expansion of said amplified laser beam wherein the first of said prisms incident to said laser beam is substantially smaller than the second of said prisms, and wherein each of said pair of prisms has an angle of incidence to said amplified laser beam of approximately 83.1 degrees, grating means reflectively positioned for reflecting a predetermined bandwidth of said expanded laser beam lengthwise back through said cavity, and etalon means for selecting a further narrower bandwidth from said reflected expanded beam to form a single model pulsed laser beam wherein said expanded beam has an exit angle to each of said pair of prisms away from the orthogonal axis of approximately 9.7 degrees with respect to the orthogonal axis in order to avoid generating extraneous modes of operation, and output coupling means for coupling said expanded narrowed beam out of said laser cavity wherein the optical length of said laser cavity is approximately 117 millimeters.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
230 words
A single mode dye laser oscillator comprising: dye cell means located within a laser cavity and responsive to a laser input beam for generating and propagating an amplifier pulsed laser beam having a predetermined wavelength lengthwise through said cavity, beam expander means for expanding said beam to form an expanded laser beam where the expansion factor is approximately forty said expander means including a pair of first and second prisms optically arranged to provide for expansion of said amplified laser beam wherein the first of said prisms incident to said laser beam is substantially smaller than the second of said prisms, and wherein each of said pair of prisms has an angle of incidence to said amplified laser beam of approximately 83.1 degrees, grating means reflectively positioned for reflecting a predetermined bandwidth of said expanded laser beam lengthwise back through said cavity, and etalon means for selecting a further narrower bandwidth from said reflected expanded beam to form a single model pulsed laser beam wherein said expanded beam has an exit angle to each of said pair of prisms away from the orthogonal axis of approximately 9.7 degrees with respect to the orthogonal axis in order to avoid generating extraneous modes of operation, and output coupling means for coupling said expanded narrowed beam out of said laser cavity wherein the optical length of said laser cavity is approximately 117 millimeters.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
A single mode dye laser oscillator as in claim 3 wherein said input laser beam is a pulsed input beam.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
A single mode dye laser oscillator as in claim 4 wherein said input laser beam is a metal vapor beam.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
A single mode dye laser oscillator as in claim 5 wherein said metal vapor beam is a copper vapor laser beam.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A single mode dye laser oscillator as in claim 3 wherein said input laser beam is a continuous wave beam.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4016504A
Cited
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