US5577060A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Diode pumped laser using crystals with strong thermal focussing
Assignee: Newport Corp USA
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Filing: 1995-04-24
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Granted: 1996-11-19
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Expires: 2015-04-24
Abstract
Abstract A diode pumped laser includes a resonator mirror and an output coupler, defining a laser resonator with a resonator optical axis. A strong thermal lens laser crystal with a TEM 00 mode diameter is mounted in the resonator along the resonator optical axis. A diode pump source supplies a pump beam to the laser crystal in the laser resonator, and produces an output beam with a diameter larger than the TEM 00 mode diameter to reduce thermal birefringence. A power source supplies power to the diode pump source. A polarizing element can be positioned in the resonator, along with a aperture stop The laser operates well over a large range of pump powers. Its slope efficiency in the TEM 00 mode is greater than 40%, with an overall efficiency greater than 25%. One of the lasing crystals used is Nd:YVO 4 . This material exhibits high gain and a short upper state lifetime. These properties make it attractive in designing a Q-switched laser, or one that is insensitive to optical feedback. Another material is Nd:YAG. The technique of optimizing the pump beam spot size is found to minimize loss due to thermal birefringence.
Inventors
- 👤 William L. Nighan, Jr.
- 👤 Mark S. Keirstead
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 13:58
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01S; H01S3/00; H01S3/09; H01S3/091; H01S3/094; H01S3/0941; H01S3/09415; H01S2301/00; H01S2301/20; H01S2301/206; H01S3/05; H01S3/08; H01S3/08072; H01S3/094049; H01S3/094053; H01S3/14; H01S3/16; H01S3/1601; H01S3/1603; H01S3/1611; H01S3/163; H01S3/1671; H01S3/1673
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
125 words
A diode pumped laser, comprising: a resonator mirror and an output coupler defining a laser resonator with a resonator optical axis; a strong thermal lens laser crystal positioned in the resonator along the resonator optical axis, the combination of the resonator and the strong thermal lens laser crystal having a TEM 00 mode diameter in the strong thermal lens laser crystal; a polarizing element positioned in the resonator; a diode pump source supplying a pump beam to the laser crystal in the laser resonator, the pump beam having a diameter larger than the TEM 00 mode diameter in the strong thermal lens laser crystal to reduce thermal birefringence and producing a polarized output beam; and a power source supplying power to the diode pump source.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
125 words
A diode pumped laser, comprising: a resonator mirror and an output coupler defining a laser resonator with a resonator optical axis; a strong thermal lens laser crystal positioned in the resonator along the resonator optical axis, the combination of the resonator and the strong thermal lens laser crystal having a TEM 00 mode diameter in the strong thermal lens laser crystal; a polarizing element positioned in the resonator; a diode pump source supplying a pump beam to the laser crystal in the laser resonator, the pump beam having a diameter larger than the TEM 00 mode diameter in the strong thermal lens laser crystal to reduce thermal birefringence and producing a polarized output beam; and a power source supplying power to the diode pump source.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
11 words
The laser of claim 1, wherein the laser crystal is Nd:YAG.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The laser of claim 1, wherein the laser has an optical slope efficiency in a TEM 00 mode of greater than about 40%.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The laser of claim 1, wherein the laser has an overall efficiency greater than about 25%.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
The laser of claim 1, wherein a ratio of the TEM 00 mode diameter to the pump beam diameter in the crystal is in the range of about less than 1.0 to 0.83.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The laser of claim 1, wherein the output beam has an M 2 of less than about 1.2.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The laser of claim 1, wherein the output beam has an M 2 of less than about 1.05.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
The laser of claim 1, wherein the output beam is a diffraction limited gaussian beam.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The laser of claim 1, wherein the laser produces an output beam with a power of about 1 to 12 W.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
The laser of claim 1, wherein the laser produces an output beam with a power greater than about 4 W.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
13 words
The laser of claim 1, further comprising: a Q-switch positioned in the resonator.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
The laser of claim 1, further comprising: an aperture stop positioned in the resonator.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
135 words
A diode pumped laser, comprising: a resonator mirror and an output coupler defining a laser resonator with a resonator optical axis and a resonator length of 1 to 10 Rayleigh ranges; a strong thermal lens laser crystal positioned in the resonator along the resonator optical axis, the combination of the resonator and the strong thermal lens laser crystal having a TEM 00 mode diameter, in the strong thermal lens laser crystal; a polarizing element positioned in the resonator; a diode pump source supplying a pump beam to the laser crystal in the laser resonator, the pump beam having a diameter larger than the TEM 00 mode diameter in the strong thermal lens laser crystal to reduce thermal birefringence and producing a polarized output beam; and a power source supplying power to the diode pump source.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
135 words
A diode pumped laser, comprising: a resonator mirror and an output coupler defining a laser resonator with a resonator optical axis and a resonator length of 1 to 10 Rayleigh ranges; a strong thermal lens laser crystal positioned in the resonator along the resonator optical axis, the combination of the resonator and the strong thermal lens laser crystal having a TEM 00 mode diameter, in the strong thermal lens laser crystal; a polarizing element positioned in the resonator; a diode pump source supplying a pump beam to the laser crystal in the laser resonator, the pump beam having a diameter larger than the TEM 00 mode diameter in the strong thermal lens laser crystal to reduce thermal birefringence and producing a polarized output beam; and a power source supplying power to the diode pump source.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
The laser of claim 13, wherein the resonator has a length of 2 to 4 Rayleigh ranges.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
14 words
The laser of claim 13, further comprising: a polarizing element positioned in the resonator.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
12 words
The laser of claim 15, wherein the the laser crystal is Nd:YAG.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
The laser of claim 13, wherein the laser has an optical slope efficiency in a TEM 00 mode of greater than about 40%.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
The laser of claim 13, wherein the laser has an overall efficiency greater than about 25%.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
33 words
The laser of claim 13, wherein a ratio of the TEM 00 mode diameter to the pump beam diameter in the crystal is in the range of about less than 1.0 to 0.83.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
The laser of claim 13, wherein the output beam has an M 2 of less than about 1.2.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
18 words
The laser of claim 13, wherein the output beam has an M 2 of less than about 1.05.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
15 words
The laser of claim 13, wherein the output beam is a diffraction limited gaussian beam.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
21 words
The laser of claim 13, wherein the laser produces an output beam with a power of about 1 to 12 W.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
20 words
The laser of claim 13, wherein the laser produces an output beam with a power greater than about 4 W.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
13 words
The laser of claim 13, further comprising: a Q-switch positioned in the resonator.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
14 words
The laser of claim 13, further comprising: an aperture stop positioned in the resonator.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
131 words
A diode pumped solid state laser, comprising: a resonator mirror and an output coupler defining a laser resonator with a resonator optical axis; a strong thermal lens laser crystal soldered with an indium based solder to a heat sink and positioned in the resonator along the resonator optical axis, the combination of the resonator and the strong thermal lens laser crystal having a TEM 00 mode diameter in the strong thermal lens laser crystal; a diode pumped source supplying a pump beam to the laser crystal in the laser resonator, the pump beam having a diameter larger than the TEM 00 mode diameter in the strong thermal lens laser crystal to reduce thermal birefringence and producing a polarized output beam; and a power source supplying power to the diode pump source.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
131 words
A diode pumped solid state laser, comprising: a resonator mirror and an output coupler defining a laser resonator with a resonator optical axis; a strong thermal lens laser crystal soldered with an indium based solder to a heat sink and positioned in the resonator along the resonator optical axis, the combination of the resonator and the strong thermal lens laser crystal having a TEM 00 mode diameter in the strong thermal lens laser crystal; a diode pumped source supplying a pump beam to the laser crystal in the laser resonator, the pump beam having a diameter larger than the TEM 00 mode diameter in the strong thermal lens laser crystal to reduce thermal birefringence and producing a polarized output beam; and a power source supplying power to the diode pump source.
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