US5289482A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Intracavity-pumped 2.1 μm Ho3+ :YAG laser
Assignee: United States Department of the Navy
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Filing: 1992-12-30
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Granted: 1994-02-22
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Expires: 2012-12-30
Abstract
Abstract In a preferred embodiment, a Tm 3+ :YAG laser crystal and a Ho 3+ :YAG laser crystal are placed within a reflective path of a laser cavity for intracavity pumping the Ho 3+ :YAG laser crystal. The Tm 3+ :YAG laser crystal emits a substantially 2.0 μm laser emission after being resonantly end-pumped by a pump beam at a wavelength of about 785 nm and the substantially 2.0 μm laser emission is used to pump the Ho 3+ :YAG laser crystal. The intracavity-pumped Ho 3+ :YAG laser crystal emits an output laser emission at substantially 2.1 μm. The slope efficiency of the Ho 3+ :YAG laser crystal output power is about 40% of the pump power absorbed by the Tm 3+ :YAG laser crystal.
Inventors
- 👤 Leon Esterowitz
- 👤 Robert S. Stoneman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 16:51
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/09; H01S3/091; H01S3/094; H01S2302/00; H01S2303/00; H01S3/05; H01S3/06; H01S3/0602; H01S3/0604; H01S3/094092; H01S3/14; H01S3/16; H01S3/1601; H01S3/1603; H01S3/161; H01S3/1616; H01S3/23; H01S3/2375
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
138 words
A laser comprising: a laser cavity defined by a reflective element and a partially reflective element opposing each other on a common axis to form a reflective path therebetween; a first laser crystal disposed in said laser cavity, said first laser crystal having a first host material doped with a first predetermined concentration of a first-type of ions; a second laser crystal disposed in said laser cavity, said second laser crystal having a second host material doped with a second predetermined concentration of a second-type of ions; and a pump laser for resonantly end-pumping said first laser crystal with a pump beam to cause said first laser crystal to produce a first laser emission to pump said second laser crystal, said second laser crystal being responsive to the first laser emission for producing an output second laser emission.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
138 words
A laser comprising: a laser cavity defined by a reflective element and a partially reflective element opposing each other on a common axis to form a reflective path therebetween; a first laser crystal disposed in said laser cavity, said first laser crystal having a first host material doped with a first predetermined concentration of a first-type of ions; a second laser crystal disposed in said laser cavity, said second laser crystal having a second host material doped with a second predetermined concentration of a second-type of ions; and a pump laser for resonantly end-pumping said first laser crystal with a pump beam to cause said first laser crystal to produce a first laser emission to pump said second laser crystal, said second laser crystal being responsive to the first laser emission for producing an output second laser emission.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
The laser of claim 1 wherein: each of said first and second host materials is selected from the group consisting of YAG, YSAG, YSGG, YGG, GGG, GSAG, GSGG, LLGG, YAP and YLF and mixtures thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
The laser of claim 2 wherein: said first-type of ions is thulium, and said first predetermined concentration of thulium is within the range between about 2.5% and about 20%; and said second-type of ions is holmium, and said second predetermined concentration of holmium is within the range between about 0.05% and about 2%.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
76 words
The laser of claim 1 wherein: each of said first and second host materials is selected from the group consisting of YAG, YSAG, YSGG, GSAG, GSGG and mixtures thereof; said first-type of ions is thulium, and said first predetermined concentration of thulium is within the range between about 4% and about 12%; and said second-type of ions is holmium, and said second predetermined concentration of holmium is within the range between about 0.01% and about 1%.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
74 words
The laser of claim 1 wherein: each of said first and second host materials is selected from the group consisting of YAG, YSAG, YSGG and mixtures thereof; said first-type of ions is thulium, and said first predetermined concentration of thulium is within the range between about 6% and about 8%; and said second-type of ions is holmium, and said second predetermined concentration of holmium is within the range between about 0.03% and about 0.5%.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
The laser of claim 1 wherein: each of said first and second host materials is YAG; said first-type of ions is thulium, and said first predetermined concentration of thulium is substantially equal to about 12%; and said second-type of ions is holmium, and said second predetermined concentration of holmium is substantially equal to about 0.5%.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The laser of claim 1 wherein: said pump beam, first laser emission and second laser emission have wavelengths substantially equal to about 785 nm, 2.0 μm and 2.1 μm, respectively.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The laser of claim 1 wherein: said first and second laser crystals are optically coupled to each other.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
The laser of claim 1 wherein: said reflective element is highly reflective to light having a wavelength between 2.0 μm to 2.1 μm and is highly transmissive to light having a wavelength of 785 nm.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
The laser of claim 9 wherein: said reflective element is formed on said first laser crystal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
The laser of claim 1 wherein: said partially reflective element is an output coupler.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
The laser of claim 1 wherein: said partially reflective element is highly reflective to light having a wavelength of about 2.0 μm and has a predetermined reflectivity to light having a wavelength of about 2.1 μm.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
The laser of claim 1 further comprising: a third reflective element formed between said second laser crystal and said partially reflective element, said third reflective element being anti-reflective to light having a wavelength between about 2.0 μm and about 2.1 μm.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
The laser of claim 1 wherein: said pump laser is selected from the group consisting of a diode laser and a Ti:Sapphire laser.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
155 words
A method of producing a laser emission at a preselected wavelength, said method comprising the steps of: resonantly end-pumping a first laser crystal disposed in a laser cavity and doped with thulium ions with a pump laser to raise the thulium ions from a 3 H 6 electronic state to a 3 F 4 electronic state, the first laser crystal emitting a first laser emission as the thulium ions decay from the 3 F 4 electronic state to the 3 H 6 electronic state; and pumping a second laser crystal disposed in the laser cavity and doped with holmium ions with the first laser emission to raise the holmium ions from a 5 I 8 electronic state to a 5 I 7 electronic state, the second laser crystal emitting a laser emission at the preselected wavelength as the holmium ions decay from the 5 I 7 electronic state to the 5 I 8 electronic state.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
155 words
A method of producing a laser emission at a preselected wavelength, said method comprising the steps of: resonantly end-pumping a first laser crystal disposed in a laser cavity and doped with thulium ions with a pump laser to raise the thulium ions from a 3 H 6 electronic state to a 3 F 4 electronic state, the first laser crystal emitting a first laser emission as the thulium ions decay from the 3 F 4 electronic state to the 3 H 6 electronic state; and pumping a second laser crystal disposed in the laser cavity and doped with holmium ions with the first laser emission to raise the holmium ions from a 5 I 8 electronic state to a 5 I 7 electronic state, the second laser crystal emitting a laser emission at the preselected wavelength as the holmium ions decay from the 5 I 7 electronic state to the 5 I 8 electronic state.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
103 words
The method of claim 15 wherein said step of pumping the first laser crystal to raise the thulium ions from the 3 H 6 electronic state tot he 3 F 4 electronic state comprises the steps of: resonantly end-pumping the thulium ions from the 3 H 6 electronic state to a 3 H 4 electronic state; and raising other thulium ions from the 3 H 6 electronic state tot he 3 F 4 electronic state as the thulium ions at the 3 H 4 electronic state undergo a transition from the 3 H 4 electronic state to the 3 F 4 electronic state.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said step of raising other thulium ions from the 3 H 6 electronic state to the 3 F 4 electronic state is a self-quenching process.
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