Reverse oxidation post-growth process for tailored gain profile in solid-state devices
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorsDavid S. Sumida, Kevin W. Kirby
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A laser rod is provided having a tailored gain profile such that the quality of the output beam is enhanced. The laser rod has a concentration of active substitutional ions that is relatively high at the center of the rod and decreases to the surface of the rod. The laser rod further has a concentration of pre-active laser ions that is relatively high at the surface of the rod and decreases to the center of the rod. Methods are disclosed for creating a layer of inactive laser species in the near surface region of a laser rod using substitutional dopant ions and for creating a laser rod with a tailored gain profile such that the quality of the output beam is enhanced.
Claims18
A method for creating a layer of inactive laser species in the near surface region of a laser rod using substitutional dopant ions, the laser rod having a central region and a peripheral region surrounding the central region, the method comprising:
- providing an as-grown reduced-valence-state laser rod having pre-active substitutional ions therein;
- placing a pre-selected chemical constituent into intimate contact with the surface of the laser rod, the pre-selected chemical constituents including the substitutional dopant ions;
- and
- diffusing the substitutional dopant ions into the laser rod as substitutional ions taking the place of the laser pre-active substitutional ions that reside in the laser rod to effect an exchange process, thereby forming a tailored concentration profile of pre-active laser ions in the laser rod, wherein the concentration of pre-active laser ions is higher in the central region as compared to the peripheral region.
A method for creating a laser rod with a tailored gain profile such that the quality of the output beam is enhanced, the laser rod having a central region and a peripheral region surrounding the central region, the method comprising:
- providing an as-grown reduced-valence-state laser rod having pre-active substitutional ions therein;
- placing pre-selected chemical constituents into intimate contact with the surface of the laser rod, the pre-selected chemical constituents including substitutional dopant ions;
- diffusing the substitutional dopant ions into the laser rod as substitutional ions taking the place of the laser pre-active substitutional ions that reside in the laser rod to effect an exchange process, thereby forming a tailored concentration profile of pre-active laser ions in the laser rod, wherein the concentration of pre-active laser ions is higher in the central region as compared to the peripheral region;
- and
- subjecting the laser rod to an oxidizing atmospheric soak at a predetermined temperature and time period to thereby convert the pre-active laser ions into active laser ions and form the laser rod with the tailored gain profile.
A laser rod having a tailored gain profile such that the quality of the output beam is enhanced, the laser rod having a concentration of active substitutional ions that is relatively high at the center of the rod and decreases to the surface of the rod and having a concentration of pre-active laser ions that is relatively high at the surface of the rod and decreases to the center of the rod.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.