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US 2007/0189351 A1Published application
Liquid laser with colloidal suspension of lasant nanoparticles
AssigneeNorthrop Grumman Corporation
InventorsRobert Rice, Hagop Injeyan
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Abstract
A laser utilizing a liquid based lasing medium, comprising a colloidal suspension of selected solid state lasant nanoparticles in a selected liquid. Use of sufficiently small lasant nanoparticles allows relaxation of the requirement to match the refractive indices of the lasant and the liquid because the nanoparticles have a desirably low scattering loss even when the refractive indices are not perfectly matched. Therefore, higher laser powers are achievable without unwanted thermally induced birefringence and depolarization.
Claims11
A high power laser, comprising:
- a laser cavity formed to encompass a vessel containing a lasing material that is a colloidal suspension of lasant nanoparticles in a liquid;
- means for supplying laser pump power to the vessel;
- means for circulating liquid and suspended lasant nanoparticles for cooling purposes;
- and
- means for coupling a laser beam from the laser cavity;
- wherein the liquid is selected for its desired physical and optical properties but without necessarily matching its refractive index with that of the lasant nanoparticles.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.