US5487079A — Continuously tunable UV Ce:LiSAF solid state laser

Claim 1

Independent Claim 65 words

An ultraviolet solid state laser, comprising: a laser cavity defined by a first mirror and an opposing second mirror; a laser medium disposed in said laser cavity, consisting essentially of a LiSAF host material doped with an amount of cerium ions sufficient to produce a longitudinal mode laser emission when said laser medium is pumped by pumping means; and means for pumping said laser medium.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 65 words

An ultraviolet solid state laser, comprising: a laser cavity defined by a first mirror and an opposing second mirror; a laser medium disposed in said laser cavity, consisting essentially of a LiSAF host material doped with an amount of cerium ions sufficient to produce a longitudinal mode laser emission when said laser medium is pumped by pumping means; and means for pumping said laser medium.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 25 words

The solid state laser of claim 1, wherein said laser medium comprises between about 0.005 at % and about 2.0 at % Ce 3+ .

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 25 words

The solid state laser of claim 1, wherein said laser medium comprises between about 0.05 at % and about 1.0 at % Ce 3+ .

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 33 words

The solid state laser of claim 1, wherein said means for pumping said laser medium comprises means for pumping said laser medium at a wavelength between about 260 nm and about 275 nm.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 28 words

The solid state laser of claim 4, wherein said means for pumping said laser medium comprises a neodymium solid state laser operating in the fourth harmonic of neodymium.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 30 words

The solid state laser of claim 5, wherein said pumping neodymium solid state laser comprises Nd 3+ ions doped into a host selected from YAG, YAlO, YLF, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 18 words

The solid state laser of claim 1, further comprising means for doubling the frequency of said laser emission.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 18 words

The solid state laser of claim 7, wherein said frequency doubling means are disposed within said laser cavity.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 39 words

The solid state laser of claim 8, wherein said frequency doubling means comprise a crystal further comprising a material selected from the group consisting of KTP, YAB, LiB 3 O 5 , KNbO 3 , and LiNbO 3 .

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 93 words

A tunable ultraviolet solid state laser, comprising: a laser cavity defined by a first mirror and an opposing second mirror; a laser medium disposed in said laser cavity, consisting essentially of a LISAF host material doped with an amount of cerium ions sufficient to produce a longitudinal mode laser emission when said laser medium is pumped by pumping means; means for pumping said laser medium; and means for tuning said laser emission to one of a plurality of wavelengths within a first wavelength tuning range, said tuning means disposed within said laser cavity.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 93 words

A tunable ultraviolet solid state laser, comprising: a laser cavity defined by a first mirror and an opposing second mirror; a laser medium disposed in said laser cavity, consisting essentially of a LISAF host material doped with an amount of cerium ions sufficient to produce a longitudinal mode laser emission when said laser medium is pumped by pumping means; means for pumping said laser medium; and means for tuning said laser emission to one of a plurality of wavelengths within a first wavelength tuning range, said tuning means disposed within said laser cavity.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 23 words

The solid state laser of claim 10, wherein said first wavelength tuning range comprises wavelengths between about 285 nm and about 320 nm.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 66 words

The solid state laser of claim 11, further comprising means for doubling the frequency of said laser emission, wherein said tuning means comprise means for tuning said frequency-doubled laser emission to one of a plurality of wavelengths in a second wavelength tuning range, wherein each of said wavelengths in said second wavelength tuning range are one half of a wavelength within said first wavelength tuning range.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 39 words

The solid state laser of claim 10, wherein said tuning means comprises: a tuning element; and means for rotating said tuning element about its axis to tune the laser emission to a wavelength within said first wavelength tuning range.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 14 words

The solid state laser of claim 13, wherein said tuning element comprises a grating.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 16 words

The solid state laser of claim 13, wherein said tuning element comprises a Brewster cut prism.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 16 words

The solid state laser of claim 13, wherein said tuning element comprises a birefringent tuning plate.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 68 words

An ultraviolet solid state transverse pumped laser, comprising: a laser cavity defined by a first mirror and an opposing second mirror; a laser medium disposed in said laser cavity, consisting essentially of a LISAF host material doped with an amount of cerium ions sufficient to produce a longitudinal mode laser emission when said laser medium is pumped by pumping means; and means for transverse pumping said laser medium.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 68 words

An ultraviolet solid state transverse pumped laser, comprising: a laser cavity defined by a first mirror and an opposing second mirror; a laser medium disposed in said laser cavity, consisting essentially of a LISAF host material doped with an amount of cerium ions sufficient to produce a longitudinal mode laser emission when said laser medium is pumped by pumping means; and means for transverse pumping said laser medium.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 44 words

The solid state transverse pumped laser of claim 17, wherein said side pumping means comprises means for directing pump radiation onto said host material at an angle that is essentially perpendicular to an axis defined by said first mirror and said second opposing mirror.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 53 words

The solid state transverse pumped laser of claim 18, wherein said means for directing pump radiation onto said host material at an angle that is essentially perpendicular to an axis defined by said first mirror and said second opposing mirror further comprises a cylindrical lens for directing pump radiation onto said host material.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 83 words

The solid state transverse pumped laser of claim 19, wherein said cylindrical lens for directing pump radiation onto said host material is adapted for directing said pump radiation onto an essentially flat sideface of said host material, and wherein said sideface of said host material is opposed by an opposing essentially flat sideface of said host material, wherein said sideface and said opposing sideface form an angle therebetween that is sufficiently large to prevent laser oscillation between said sideface and said opposing sideface.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 25 words

The solid state transverse pumped laser of claim 20, wherein said angle formed between said sideface and said opposing sideface is at least about 5°.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1999-01-22	1999-07-24	2000-01-23	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2003-01-22	2003-07-24	2004-01-23	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2007-01-22	2007-07-24	2008-01-23	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Continuously tunable UV Ce:LiSAF solid state laser

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