Uv lasers and uv raman systems for effective and efficient molecular species identification with raman spectroscopy
AssigneeAlakai Defense Systems, Inc.
InventorsRobert Douglas Waterbury, Darius Vunck, Robert Dean Babnick, Timothy Molner, Hunter Hardy, Ed Dottery, Robert McKinney, David Welford
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a novel stand-off distance chemical detector system such as can be used, for example, for standoff detection of explosives. Instead of a conventional lasing medium, a Pr:YAG or Pr:BYF based UV laser is used which can be advantageously implemented in Raman spectroscopy.
Claims35
A solid state laser for generating a UV laser for a UV Raman detector comprising:
- a. a resonator cavity having a main intra-cavity optical path;
- b. a pumped Pr:YAG or Pr:BYF lasing medium along the main intra-cavity optical path configured to generate a laser with an emission line resonating in the visible light spectrum;
- c. a frequency doubling crystal along the main intra-cavity optical path configured to convert the visible light oscillation to UV oscillation at <250 nm;
- d. an optical component along the main intra-cavity optical path configured to direct the UV oscillation out of the cavity for extra-cavity UV laser output for use in a Raman spectrometry detection scheme.
A method of creating a UV laser for use in a Raman-based spectroscopy detection comprising:
- a. generating a UV laser by:
- i. generating an optimized oscillation in the visible spectrum using pumped Pr:YAG or Pr:BYF as the lasing medium;
- ii. frequency doubling the optimized oscillation into the UV spectrum at <250 nm;
- b. using the UV oscillation for Raman-based spectroscopy detection.
A portable UV Raman system comprising:
- a. a hand-held portable housing;
- b. a battery;
- c. a UV laser source for stand-off distance interrogation of a target;
- d. a collection optics for collecting reflectance from the interrogated target;
- e. a spectrometer capable of Raman scattering detection;
- f a processor and circuit for controlling operation of the system and processing the collected reflectance;
- g. the UV laser source comprising
- i. a pumped Pr:YAG or Pr:BYF lasing medium in a resonator cavity configured to generate a laser within the visible light spectrum;
- ii. a single frequency doubling crystal configured to convert the generated visible light oscillation to UV oscillation;
- iii. an optical component configured to direct the UV oscillation out of the cavity for extra-cavity UV laser output for interrogation of the target.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.