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US5202893A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

End pumped solid-state laser

Assignee: Sony Corp
•
Filing: 1991-07-19
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Granted: 1993-04-13
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Expires: 2011-07-19
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Abstract

Abstract An end pumped solid-state laser is comprised of a resonator formed of a pair of mirrors and a laser rod disposed between the pair of mirrors, an exciting light source for generating a pumping light which excites the laser rod and a converging optical element for converging the pumping light from the exciting light source so that the converged pumping light is irradiated on an end face of the laser rod. The wavelength of the light generated from the exciting light source is widened in band and/or a converging optical element having a large wavelength dispersion is employed, whereby heat generation in the optical axis direction of the laser rod is uniformed so as to generate a laser beam of large power.

Inventors

  • 👤 Shigeo Kubota
  • 👤 Yushi Kaneda

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 21:20
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/09; H01S3/091; H01S3/094; H01S3/0941; H01S3/09415; H01S3/094049; H01S3/094053; H01S5/00; H01S5/40; H01S5/4025

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim 203 words
An end pumped solid-state laser comprising: a resonator having a pair of mirrors and a laser rod disposed between said pair of mirrors, said laser rod having an optical axis, an end face, and a peak absorption wavelength; a pumping light source means for generating a pumping light to excite said laser rod by the absorption of the pumping light, the pumping light source means comprising a plurality of laser light sources producing laser light at a plurality of output wavelengths, said plurality of output wavelengths falling within a wavelength band around the peak absorption wavelength of said laser rod; an optical guide for guiding said pumping light from said exciting light source; and a converging optical element means for converging said pumping light guided by said optical guide and for irradiating said converged pumping light on said end face of said laser rod so as to excite said laser rod, the converging optical element having a large wavelength dispersion such that said plurality of wavelengths of laser light produced by said plurality of laser light sources are focused at a plurality of points on said optical axis of said laser rod, thereby reducing a density of heat generated within said laser rod.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 203 words
An end pumped solid-state laser comprising: a resonator having a pair of mirrors and a laser rod disposed between said pair of mirrors, said laser rod having an optical axis, an end face, and a peak absorption wavelength; a pumping light source means for generating a pumping light to excite said laser rod by the absorption of the pumping light, the pumping light source means comprising a plurality of laser light sources producing laser light at a plurality of output wavelengths, said plurality of output wavelengths falling within a wavelength band around the peak absorption wavelength of said laser rod; an optical guide for guiding said pumping light from said exciting light source; and a converging optical element means for converging said pumping light guided by said optical guide and for irradiating said converged pumping light on said end face of said laser rod so as to excite said laser rod, the converging optical element having a large wavelength dispersion such that said plurality of wavelengths of laser light produced by said plurality of laser light sources are focused at a plurality of points on said optical axis of said laser rod, thereby reducing a density of heat generated within said laser rod.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 16 words
An end pumped solid-state laser of claim 1 wherein said laser light sources are laser diodes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 67 words
An end pumped solid-state laser of claim 1 wherein each of said laser light sources includes a temperature sensor and a cooling circuit, wherein said output wavelength of each of said laser light sources varies in response to temperature, and further, wherein said cooling circuit is controlled in response to an output of said temperature sensor and said laser light source is maintained at a predetermined temperature.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 56 words
An end pumped solid-state laser of claim 3 wherein a control temperature of at least one laser light source is different from those of other laser light sources, whereby the output wavelength of the laser light from said light source varies from that of said other sources, thereby broadening a wavelength band of said pumping light.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 59 words
An end pumped solid-state laser of claim 1 wherein said optical guide is composed of a plurality of optical fibers in which laser beams from said laser light sources become incident on one ends of said optical fibers and the output laser light of said pumping light source is generated from the bundled other ends of said optical fibers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 17 words
An end pumped solid-state laser of claim 1 wherein said converging optical element is a kinoform lens.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 17 words
An end pumped solid-state laser of claim 1 wherein said converging optical element is a diffraction grating.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 16 words
An end pumped solid-state laser of claim 7 wherein said diffraction grating is a holographic element.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 203 words
An end pumped solid-state laser comprising: a resonator having a pair of mirrors and a laser rod disposed between said pair of mirrors, said laser rod having an optical axis, an end face, and a peak absorption wavelength; a pumping light source means for generating a pumping light to excite said laser rod by the absorption of the pumping light, the pumping light source means comprising a plurality of laser light sources producing laser light at a plurality of output wavelengths, said plurality of output wavelengths falling within a wavelength band around the peak absorption wavelength of said laser rod; an optical guide for guiding said pumping light from said exciting light source; and a converging optical element means for converging said pumping light guided by said optical guide and for irradiating said converged pumping light on said end face of said laser rod so as to excite said laser rod, the converging optical element having a large wavelength dispersion such that said plurality of wavelengths of laser light produced by said plurality of laser light sources are focused at a plurality of points on said optical axis of said laser rod, thereby reducing a density of heat generated within said laser rod.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 203 words
An end pumped solid-state laser comprising: a resonator having a pair of mirrors and a laser rod disposed between said pair of mirrors, said laser rod having an optical axis, an end face, and a peak absorption wavelength; a pumping light source means for generating a pumping light to excite said laser rod by the absorption of the pumping light, the pumping light source means comprising a plurality of laser light sources producing laser light at a plurality of output wavelengths, said plurality of output wavelengths falling within a wavelength band around the peak absorption wavelength of said laser rod; an optical guide for guiding said pumping light from said exciting light source; and a converging optical element means for converging said pumping light guided by said optical guide and for irradiating said converged pumping light on said end face of said laser rod so as to excite said laser rod, the converging optical element having a large wavelength dispersion such that said plurality of wavelengths of laser light produced by said plurality of laser light sources are focused at a plurality of points on said optical axis of said laser rod, thereby reducing a density of heat generated within said laser rod.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 15 words
An end pumped solid-state laser of claim 9 wherein said light sources are laser diodes.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 59 words
An end pumped solid-state laser of claim 9 wherein said optical guide is composed of a plurality of optical fibers in which laser beams from said laser light sources become incident on one ends of said optical fibers and the output laser light of said pumping light source is generated from the bundled other ends of said optical fibers.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 17 words
An end pumped solid-state laser of claim 9 wherein said converging optical element is a kinoform lens.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 17 words
An end pumped solid-state laser of claim 9 wherein said converging optical element is a diffraction grating.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 16 words
An end pumped solid-state laser of claim 13 wherein said diffraction grating is a holographic element.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4399541A Cited
US4890289A Cited
US4847851A Cited
US5025449A Cited
EP0435217A2 Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1996-04-12 1996-10-12 1997-04-13 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2000-04-12 2000-10-12 2001-04-13 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2004-04-12 2004-10-12 2005-04-13 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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