Back to results
US 4,764,933 AGranted
Diode pumped low doped Nd .sub.3+ glass laser
AssigneeStanford University
InventorsWilliam J. Kozlovsky, Tso Y. Fan, Robert L. Byer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A semiconductive diode pumped Nd:glass laser is disclosed in which standard low-loss Nd:glass is employed as the gain medium. In some embodiments, miniature optical resonators are employed for resonating the lasant radiation within the gain medium. One or more of the reflectors of the optical resonator are preferably defined by one or more faces of the glass gain medium. Travelling wave, Q-switched, modelocked, second harmonic generating, and slab laser embodiments are disclosed.
Claims16
In a method for obtaining laser radiation, the steps of:
- optically pumping Nd.sup.3+ lasant ions of a laser gain medium with the output optical radiation of a light emitting semiconductive diode;
- said gain medium comprises a glass member doped with the Nd.sup.3+ lasant ions to a density of less than 10.times.10.sup.20 cm.sup.-3 such that the laser gain medium has an optical loss at the wavelength of the lasant transition of less than 0.2 per meter and has a gain cross-section less than 8.times.10.sup.-20 cm.sup.2 ;
- resonating coherent lasant optical readiation emitted by a lasant transition of said optically pumped lasant Nd.sup.3+ ions of said gain medium within an optical resonator containing said optically pumped gain medium and having at least one concave reflector to obtain output laser radiation;
- and
- focusing the resonant lasant radiation within said optical resonator and within said gain medium such that the predominant focusing mechanism for focusing the resonant radiation within said gain medium is focusing from a concave optical focusing element disposed on the optical axis of the optical resonator.
2 more elements
In a laser:
- gain medium means comprising a glass member doped with Nd.sup.3+ lasant ions to a density of less than 5.times.10.sup.20 cm.sup.-3 such that said laser gain medium means has an optical loss at the wavelength of the lasant transition of less than 0.2 per meter and has a gain cross-section less than 8.times.10.sup.-20 cm.sup.2 ;
- optical pumping means for optically pumping the Nd.sup.3+ lasant ions of said laser gain medium means with the output optical radiation of a light-emitting semiconductor diode;
- optical resonator means for resonating coherent lasant optical radiation emitted by a lasant transition of said optically pumped lasant Nd.sup.3+ ions of said gain medium means within said optical resonator means containing said optically pumped gain medium means to obtain output laser radiation;
- and
- focusing means for focusing the resonant lasant radiation within said optical resonator means and within the said gain medium means such that the predominant focusing mechanism for focusing the resonant radiation within said gain medium means is focusing from a concave optical focusing element disposed on the optical axis of the optical resonator means.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.