Energetic laser design
AssigneeL3Harris Technologies, Inc.
InventorsBaoping Guo, Edward Miesak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical resonator may be provided. The optical resonator may comprise a laser system with an adjustable optical path length. The optical resonator may include a back mirror. The back mirror may include a first back mirror surface and a second back mirror surface. The first back mirror surface and may provide a first optical path length for the optical resonator if the first back mirror surface may be included in the optical path. The second back mirror may provide a second optical path length for the optical resonator if the second back mirror surface is included in the optical path.
Claims15
An optical resonator for a laser system, the optical resonator comprising:
- an output coupler;
- a gain medium that is a first distance from the output coupler along an optical path;
- a back mirror that comprises a mirror substrate having a thickness and a refractive index, a first back mirror surface that comprises a high reflective coating, and a second back mirror surface that comprises a low reflective coating, wherein a first configuration of the back mirror positions the first back mirror surface at a second distance from the gain medium along the optical path such that the first back mirror surface prevents inclusion of the mirror substrate in the optical path, and wherein a second configuration of the back mirror positions the first back mirror surface at a third distance from the gain medium along the optical path such that the second back mirror surface permits inclusion of the mirror substrate in the optical path, wherein the second distance is different from the third distance;
- and
- a resonator cavity, wherein the resonator cavity comprises a first optical path length when the back mirror is in the first configuration and a second optical path length when the back mirror is in the second configuration.
A laser system, the laser system comprising:
- a gain medium that is a first distance from the output coupler along an optical path;
- a pump source for energizing the gain medium;
- a back mirror that comprises a mirror substrate, having a thickness and a refractive index, a first back mirror surface that comprises a high reflective coating, and a second back mirror surface that comprises a low reflective coating, and wherein a first configuration of the back mirror positions the first back mirror surface at a second distance from the gain medium along the optical path, and wherein a second configuration of the back mirror positions the first back mirror surface at a third distance from the gain medium along the optical path, wherein the second distance is different from the third distance;
- and
- a resonator cavity, wherein the resonator cavity comprises a first optical path length when the back mirror is in the first configuration and a second optical path length when the back mirror is in the second configuration.
A method for configuring a laser system, the method comprising:
- positioning a back mirror in a first configuration, wherein the back mirror comprises a mirror substrate having a thickness and a refractive index, a first back mirror surface that comprises a high reflective coating, and a second back mirror surface that comprises a low reflective coating, wherein positioning the back mirror in the first configuration comprises positioning the first back mirror surface at a first distance from a gain medium along an optical path of the laser system such that the first back mirror surface prevents inclusion of the mirror substrate in the optical path;
- and
- positioning the back mirror in a second configuration, wherein positioning the back mirror in the second configuration comprises positioning the first back mirror surface at a second distance from the gain medium along the optical path such that the second back mirror surface permits inclusion of the mirror substrate in the optical path, wherein the first distance is different from the second distance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.