Abstract:
Laser construction employing an elongated core of preselected laser glass including erbium as an active ion therein and a cladding of selectively absorbing material including praseodymium in surrounding relation to said core for providing coherent laser emission substantially at 1.5 microns wavelength and at high operating efficiency.
Abstract:
A LASER MATERIAL CONSISTING OF A GLASS ROD COMPOSED OF TWO DIFFERNETLY DOPED GLASSES, ONE GLASS COMPRISES A LASERABLE CORE AND A SECOND GLASS COMPRISES A SENSITIZER ELEMENT. THE GLASS WHICH COMPRISES A LASERABLE CORE CONTAINS ERBUIM AS THE LASERABLE ION AND ALSO INCLUDES YTTERBIUM OXIDE AS A SENSITIZER. THE GLASS WHICH COMPRISES THE SENSITIZER ELEMENT CONTAINS NEODYMIUM OXIDE AND YTTERBIUM OXIDE WHICH ACT SOLEY AS SENSITIZER IONS. WHEN THE GLASS ROD IS PUMPED WITH OPTICAL ENERGY, A LARGE AMOUNT OF ENERGY IS ABSORBED BY THE NEODYMIUM AND YTTERBIUM IONS N THE SENSITIZER ELEMENT, WHICH ENERGY IS TRANSMITTED INTO THE LASERABLE CORE BY BOTH RADIATIVE AND NON-RADIATIVE PROCESSES TO ASSIST IN PRODUCING A STATE OF POPULATION INVERSION IN THE ERBIUM IONS PRESENT WITHIN THE CORE.