Resonantly pumped mid-ir laser
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsLeon Esterowitz, Melvin R. Kruer
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Abstract
A solid-state laser operative in the mid infrared region (3-5 .mu.m) comprises a YLF laser including a trivalent terbium activator which is pumped by a resonant external laser source (Ho:YLF, 2.06 .mu.m laser) to directly populate the upper laser level which achieves inversion before non-radiative decay depletes the initial laser-level population. The initial laser manifold that is externally pumped is the .sup.7 F.sub.2 manifold. Inversion is then between the .sup.7 F.sub.3 and .sup.7 F.sub.5 manifolds and laser oscillation at 4.1 .mu.m is obtained.
Claims5
An optically pumped solid-state laser which comprises:
- a laser cavity;
- a laser medium including trivalent terbium-doped yttrium lithium fluoride crystal that is capable of lasing at about 4.1 .mu.m disposed within said laser cavity;
- and
- resonant pumping means for supplying pump energy of a predetermined infrared wavelength to said laser medium to achieve laser oscillation at about 4.1 .mu.m.
An optically pumped laser comprising:
- a laser cavity;
- a laser medium of trivalent terbium-doped yttrium lithium fluoride crystal having a plurality of energy levels including the .sup.7 F.sub.2, the .sup.7 F.sub.3 and .sup.7 F.sub.5 energy levels disposed within said laser cavity;
- and
- resonant pumping means for supplying energy of a given wavelength to said laser medium in order to populate the .sup.7 F.sub.2 energy level thereof which will result in laser oscillation at about 4.1 .mu.m between the .sup.7 F.sub.3 and .sup.7 F.sub.5 energy levels.
An optically pumped laser which comprises:
- a laser cavity;
- a laser medium of trivalent terbium-doped yttrium lithium fluoride crystal within said laser cavity;
- and
- resonant pumping means of holmium-doped yttrium lithium fluoride crystal for supplying pump energy to said laser medium to achieve laser oscillation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.