Abstract:
A laser frame for holding a plurality of optical components includes a first flexure structure for adjustably holding a first one of the optical components, and a first cellular structure for supporting and cooling a second one of the optical components. The first flexure structure and the first cellular structure are each a unitary structure formed by additive manufacturing. Also, a laser frame for holding an optical component includes a passive cooling cellular structure for supporting and cooling the optical component. The passive cooling cellular structure has a non-uniform density, and the laser frame is a unitary structure formed by additive manufacturing.
Abstract:
A first amplification structure uses a single pass external diffusion amplifier wherein the picosecond beam cross-sectional area is matched to the cross-sectional area of the gain medium. A half waveplate between the gain medium and the incoming beam optimizes the polarization of the beam diameter to the polarization of the gain medium. A second amplification structure uses a double pass external diffusion amplifier wherein the beam cross-sectional area is matched to the cross-sectional area of the gain medium and passed twice therethrough. A half waveplate and a rotator create a right circular polarized beam through the gain medium and a maximum “R” coated reflector resides beyond the external diffusion amplifier and reflects a left circular polarized beam back through the gain medium, the rotator and the half waveplate where it becomes horizontally polarized and is then transmitted out of the amplification structure by the polarization sensitive beam splitter.
Abstract:
A laser assembly and method of operating the assembly are described in which a pump beam is directed through an end-pumped solid-state laser gain medium four or more times. The pump beam is directed at a slight angle through a first end of the medium, reflects off the inner surface of the second, opposite end (to form a “V”), and then reflected by an external or integrated mirror back through the first end and off the inner surface of the opposite end again (back through the “V”).
Abstract:
The present invention provides an optical amplifying device which can be easily downsized, increased in output, and stabilized. An optical amplifying device 1A includes an optical amplifier 10A and an energy supplier 30. The optical amplifier 10A includes an optical amplifying medium 11 and a transparent medium 12. The energy supplier 30 supplies excitation energy (for example, excitation light) to the optical amplifying medium 11. The optical amplifying medium 11 is supplied with the excitation light to amplify light and output it. To-be-amplified light passes through the transparent medium 12 in the optical amplifying medium 11 a plurality of times. The transparent medium 12 can propagate the to-be-amplified light, for example, zigzag inside.
Abstract:
A laser apparatus has a multipath solid-state slab laser rod and an excitation source that excites it, and uses a solid-state slab laser rod that has a trapezoid or parallelogram-shaped cross section along the optical path, that is provided with six or more faces and that has a light amplifying effect or a nonlinear optical effect. The light that is incident to the laser rod is totally reflected at the incident-light end face and exit end face of the laser rod, passes back through the interior of the laser rod a plurality of times, e.g., three times, and then exits. For light amplification, excitation light is irradiated from the side face. In addition, for nonlinear optical effects, the z-axis of a nonlinear optical crystal is disposed so as to be orthogonal to the plane of the optical path, and the temperature of the solid-state slab laser rod is kept at the phase-matching temperature. This laser apparatus of this configuration solves drawbacks of prior-art laser rods so that the high conversion rate from excitation light to laser light is obtained at a high laser gain.
Abstract:
A mode-locked laser device includes a Fabry-Perot resonator, a mode-locking element disposed within the resonator, a solid-state laser medium disposed within the resonator, and exciting means for applying excitation light to the solid-state laser medium. The opposite ends of the resonator, the mode-locking element and the solid-state laser medium are disposed to provide an average beam diameter of lasing light of not more than 150 μm on the mode-locking element and an average beam diameter of the lasing light of not more than 200 μm within the solid-state laser medium.
Abstract:
A laser includes a narrow bandwidth AR coating for defining a frequency range for laser emission within the laser cavity. Advantageously, the narrow-band AR coating has a very low loss, which can be particularly useful if the gain medium has low gain. The narrow-band AR coating can be used to narrow the laser emission from a broadband gain medium (e.g. Cr:LiSAF), or to select from among discrete transition lines (e.g. Nd:YAG) without the use of cumbersome tuning elements. An etalon, which may be substantially uncoated, may be utilized to further narrow the fundamental wavelength. For a solid state gain medium, the AR coating may be formed on one of the optical faces. A nonlinear element may be included for frequency-conversion, and the AR coating constrains the lasing frequency in the presence of this nonlinear loss and assists in maintaining single frequency operation to provide a stable frequency-converted output.
Abstract:
A semiconductor laser excited solid laser device of side light excited type in which the excitation region is well matched with the mode volume of the laser oscillation mode, for providing high output and high efficiency. The semiconductor laser excited solid laser device comprises a diffraction grating for diffracting the output light beams of the semiconductor lasers in a direction of formation of the laser resonator mode in application of the output light beams to the solid laser medium.
Abstract:
A high effieciency pumping scheme mode matches the TEMOO laser mode volume with a plurality of spaced apart laser diode pumping sources positioned along a lateral side of a block of laser material. The cavity resonator within the block is configured in tightly folded zig-zag configuration. Pump radiation from the diode pumping sources is collimated by an optical fiber and the fold angle is selected to mode match the pump radiation to the mode volume. Parasitic oscillation across the laser block are prevented.
Abstract:
A distributed feedback laser, including: an output end including an active region including a grating including a λ/4 phase-shift region; and a non-output end including a reflecting region including a grating with uniform period. The length of the active region is smaller than or equal to 200 μm. The end facet of the output end of the laser is coated with an anti-reflection film.