Patent US5289482A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5289482A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Intracavity-pumped 2.1 μm Ho3+ :YAG laser
Assignee: United States Department of the Navy
•
Filing: 1992-12-30
•
Granted: 1994-02-22
•
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 17:04
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.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4321559A
Cited
US4879723A
Cited
US5115445A
Cited
US4884277A
Cited
US4933947A
Cited
US5038353A
Cited
US4901330A
Cited
US4974230A
Cited
US4942582A
Cited
US5164953A
Cited
US4956843A
Cited
US5070507A
Cited
US4965803A
Cited
US5063566A
Cited
US5088103A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-02-21 | 1997-08-23 | 1998-02-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-02-21 | 2001-08-23 | 2002-02-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-02-21 | 2005-08-23 | 2006-02-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |