Composite multiple wavelength laser material and multiple wavelength laser for use therewith
AssigneeScience and Technology Corporation
InventorMahendra G. Jani
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A composite multiple wavelength laser material is provided and is typically constructed with a common axis of construction in the form of a rod of uniform cross-section. The rod comprises a plurality of segments of laser material bonded, e.g., diffusion bonded, to one another along the common axis. Each segment lases at a unique wavelength when excited to produce a laser emission. The segments can be made from a birefringent material doped with laser active ions. If the same birefringent host material is used for all segments, ground-state absorption losses can be reduced by terminating either end of the rod with end segments made from undoped pieces of the birefringent material.
Claims20
A multiple wavelength laser rod for placement in a laser cavity defined by reflective elements aligned on a common axis to form a reflective path therebetween, said multiple wavelength laser rod comprising a plurality of segments of laser material bonded to one another along said common axis, each of said plurality of segments having a host material that is the same and that is doped to lase at a unique wavelength when pumped to produce a multiple wavelength laser beam transmitted along said common axis.
A multiple wavelength laser rod for placement in a laser cavity defined by reflective elements aligned on a common axis to form a reflective path therebetween, said multiple wavelength laser rod comprising a plurality of rod segments of birefringent laser material having a uniform cross-section diffusion bonded to one another along said common axis, each of said plurality of rod segments having an optic axis of the same angular orientation, each of said plurality of rod segments having a host material that is the same and that is doped to lase at a unique wavelength when pumped to produce a multiple wavelength laser beam transmitted along said common axis.
A multiple wavelength laser comprising:
- a laser cavity defined by a first reflective element opposing a second reflective element, said first reflective element and said second reflective element being aligned on a common axis to form a reflective path therebetween;
- a plurality of rod segments of birefringent laser material having a uniform cross-section along the length thereof and being diffusion bonded to one another along said common axis wherein said common axis passes through a first end of said plurality of rod segments and passes through a second end of said plurality of rod segments, each of said plurality of rod segments having an optic axis of the same angular orientation, each of said plurality of rod segments having a host material that is the same and that is doped to lass at a unique wavelength when pumped;
- a first end segment of said birefringent laser material in its undoped form having said uniform cross-section along the length thereof and being diffusion bonded to said first end of said plurality of rod segments, said first end segment having an optic axis with the same angular orientation as said optic axes of said plurality of rod segments;
- a second end segment of said birefringent laser material in its undoped form having said uniform cross-section along the length thereof and being diffusion bonded to said second end of said plurality of rod segments, said second end segment having an optic axis with the same angular orientation as said optic axes of said plurality of rod segments;
- at least one optical energy source optically coupled to said plurality of rod segments for pumping optical energy into said plurality of rod segments, wherein each of said plurality of rod segments lases at a unique wavelength when pumped by said optical energy to thereby produce a multiple wavelength laser beam along said common axis;
- and
- a plurality of reflectors distributed along said common axis, each of said plurality of reflectors reflecting one of each said unique wavelength of said multiple wavelength laser beam, wherein a plurality of unique-wavelength laser beams are produced in correspondence with said plurality of rod segments.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.