Yb-doped:YCOB laser
AssigneeUniversity of Central Florida
InventorsDennis Allen Hammons, Qing Ye, Jason Eichenholz, Bruce H. T. Chai, Martin Richardson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tunable, solid state laser device with both visible and infrared laser emission is developed with a trivalent ytterbium-doped yttrium calcium oxyborate crystal as the host crystal. The Yb:YCOB crystal generates an infrared fundamental light over a wide bandwidth, from approximately 980 nanometers (nm) to approximately 1100 nm. The bandwidth generated by the Yb:YCOB crystal is approximately 100 nm wide and supports the generation of pulsed infrared light or when self-frequency doubled provides a compact, efficient, source of tunable, visible, blue or green laser light in wavelengths of approximately 490 nm to approximately 550 nm.
Claims25
A tunable, solid state laser device with visible and infrared optical effects, comprising:
- a) a laser cavity with reflective means and output coupler;
- b) a self-frequency doubling, active gain medium disposed in said laser cavity producing a longitudinal mode laser emission, the active gain medium being trivalent rare-earth doped yttrium calcium oxyborate;
- c) means for pumping said active gain medium;
- and
- d) means for tuning within said laser cavity said laser emission to one of a plurality of wavelengths having a wavelength tuning range of between approximately 900 to approximately 1200 nm.
A method of lasing an oxyborate crystal at a range between approximately 1018 nm and approximately 1087 nm, comprising the steps of:
- (a) emitting optical radiation from a pump source, the pump source being tuned in a range between approximately 900 nm to approximately 1200 nm, and selected from one of a coherent pumping source and an incoherent pumping source;
- and
- (b) pumping a gain medium composed of trivalent ytterbium-doped:
- yttrium, calcium oxyborate [Yb3+:YCa4O(BO3)3] in a resonator cavity;
- and
- (c) producing a tunable, self-frequency doubled, green, visible light emission in the range between approximately 509 nm and approximately 544 nm.
A method of lasing an oxyborate crystal at a range between approximately 1018 nm and approximately 1087 nm, comprising the steps of:
- (a) emitting optical radiation from a pump source, the pump source being tuned in a range betweem approximately 900 nm to approximately 1200 nm;
- (b) pumping a gain medium composed of trivalent ytterbium-doped:
- yttrium-calcium oxyborate [Yb3+:YCa4O(BO3)3] in a resonator cavity with optical radiation;
- and
- (c) producing ultrashort infrared radiation pulsed light.
A solid-state laser device wherein the single active gain medium is trivalent ytterbium-doped yttrium calcium oxyborate crystal [Yb3+:YCa4O(BO3)3].
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.