Solid state laser and material
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorIrwin Schneider
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Broadly tunable, c.w. laser action in the ir(infrared) spectral region is obtained from (F.sub.2.sup.+).sub.A color centers in an alkali halide crystal having F.sub.A, F.sub.B, F.sub.A ', F.sub.B ' (F.sub.2).sub.A and (F.sub.2.sup.+).sub.A color centers in a dynamic equilibrium. The laser material is prepared by additively coloring an alkali halide crystal, exposing the colored crystal to light in the high-energy edge (i.e., between 450-300 nm) of the F-center absortion range at a temperature from about 253K to about 300K, cooling the crystal to a temperature not greater than 100K, and re-exposing the crystal to the same light to create a dynamic equilibrium state in which (F.sub.2.sup.+).sub.A centers are present.
Claims15
A laser material for a solid-state tunable laser which comprises an alkali halide crystal with at least one cation impurity selected from the class consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, calcium, strontium, and barium, said crystal having a crystalographic structure with point defects consisting essentially of (F.sub.2).sub.A, (F.sub.2.sup.+).sub.A, F.sub.A, F.sub.B, F.sub.A ', and F.sub.B ' color centers in a state of dynamic equilibrium so that bleaching of (F.sub.2.sup.+).sub.A centers is avoided.
A method for generating (F.sub.2 +).sub.A color centers in an alkali halide crystal which comprises:
- additively coloring said crystal;
- quenching said crystal to a temperature from about 253K to about 300K;
- irradiating said crystal with light in approximately the high-energy portion of the F-center absorption band to produce, F.sub.A, F.sub.B, F.sub.2, and (F.sub.2).sub.A color centers until the F.sub.2 and (F.sub.2).sub.A concentrations are maximized;
- cooling said crystal to a temperature of about 100K or less;
- irradiating said crystal with light in approximately the high-energy portion of the F-center absorption band to produce (F.sub.2.sup.+).sub.A color centers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.