Q-switched laser system
AssigneeJerusalem College of Technology
InventorsSalman Noach, Uzziel Sheintop, Eytan Moshe Perez
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A laser system, comprising: a laser cavity, a gain medium positioned within the laser cavity, a pump source optically coupled to the gain medium, an input minor positioned at a first end of the laser cavity, an output coupler positioned at a second end of the laser cavity, a first etalon positioned within the laser cavity, and a q-switching element positioned within the laser cavity, wherein the laser system is configured to provide a laser beam at a selected wavelength ranging of 1700 to 3000 nm with a tunable spectral range of at least 10 nm. A method for using the laser system e.g., for producing a pulsed laser beam is further disclosed.
Claims19
A laser system,
- comprising:
- a laser cavity;
- a gain medium positioned within the laser cavity;
- a pump source optically coupled to the gain medium;
- an input mirror positioned at a first end of the laser cavity;
- an output coupler positioned at a second end of the laser cavity;
- a first etalon having a thickness of between 10 to 50 μm positioned within the laser cavity and configured to tune the spectral range of the laser to at least 20 nm;
- and a q-switching element positioned within the laser cavity;
- wherein:
- the laser system is configured to provide a pulsed laser beam at a selected wavelength ranging of 1700 to 3000 nm with a tunable spectral range of at least 20 nm;
- the q-switching element provides a pulse switching of a laser beam;
- and wherein the gain medium, the pump source, the input mirror, the output coupler, the first etalon, and the q-switching element are at a light-pass of the pulsed laser beam.
A method for producing a pulsed laser beam, the method comprises:
- a. providing a laser system comprising:
- a laser cavity;
- a gain medium positioned within the laser cavity;
- a pump source optically coupled to the gain medium;
- an input minor positioned at a first end of the laser cavity;
- an output coupler positioned at a second end of the laser cavity;
- a first etalon having a thickness of between 10 to 50 μm positioned within the laser cavity and configured to tune the spectral range of the laser to at least 20 nm;
- and a q-switching element positioned within the laser cavity;
- wherein the gain medium, the pump source, the input minor, the output coupler, the first etalon, and the q-switching element are at a light-pass of the pulsed laser beam;
- b. supplying electrical power to the pump source so as to energize the gain medium, thereby generating said pulsed laser beam at a selected wavelength ranging from 1700 to 3000 nm with a tunable spectral range of at least 20 nm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.