Semiconductor-based optical refrigerator
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsRichard I. Epstein, Bradley C. Edwards, Mansoor Sheik-Bahae
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Abstract
Optical refrigerators using semiconductor material as a cooling medium, with layers of material in close proximity to the cooling medium that carries away heat from the cooling material and preventing radiation trapping. In addition to the use of semiconducting material, the invention can be used with ytterbium-doped glass optical refrigerators.
Claims35
A semiconductor based optical refrigerator cooled by optical radiation from a diode laser comprising:
- a cooling layer having a first and second end, with said first end in optical contact with said optical radiation for producing fluorescent photons in response to excitation by said optical radiation, said cooling layer defining first and second faces;
- a first passivating layer having first and second faces, said first face in contact with said first face of said cooling layer for carrying fluorescent photons away from said cooling layer, and said second face in contact with a device to be cooled;
- a second passivating layer having first and second faces, said first face in contact with said second face of said cooling layer for carrying fluorescent photons away from said cooling layer;
- an absorbing layer spaced apart from said second face of said second passivating layer for receiving said fluorescent photons from said second passivating layer and producing thermal phonons;
- and
- a heat sink in contact with said absorbing layer for dissipating heat from said thermal phonons.
A semiconductor based optical refrigerator cooled by optical radiation from a diode laser comprising:
- a cooling layer having a first and second end, with said first end in optical contact with said optical radiation for producing fluorescent photons in response to excitation by said optical radiation, said cooling layer defining first and second faces;
- a first passivating layer having first and second faces, said first face in contact with said first face of said cooling layer for carrying fluorescent photons away from said cooling layer, and said second face in contact with a device to be cooled;
- a second passivating layer having first and second faces, said first face in contact with said second face of said cooling layer for carrying fluorescent photons away from said cooling layer;
- an absorbing layer spaced apart from said second face of said passivating layer for receiving said fluorescent photons from said second optical conduction layer and producing thermal phonons;
- and
- an enclosure enclosing and in close proximity to said device to be cooled, said cooling layer, said first and second passivating layer, and said absorbing layer, said enclosure being made of a layer of anti-reflective material on a layer of absorbing material on a layer of gold on a heat sink and defining an aperture though said heat sink, said layer of gold, said layer of absorbing material, and said layer of anti-reflective material;
- wherein a laser beam emitted through said aperture cools said cooling layer providing cooling of said device to be cooled.
An optical refrigerator using ytterbium-doped glass having first and second faces as a cooling layer comprising:
- first and second dielectric mirrors deposited onto said first and second faces of said ytterbium-doped glass;
- a device to be cooled deposited onto said first dielectric mirror;
- an enclosure enclosing and in close proximity to said ytterbium-doped glass, said first and second dielectric mirrors, and said device to be cooled, said enclosure being made of a layer of anti-reflective material on a layer of absorbing material on a layer of gold on a heat sink and defining an aperture though said heat sink, said layer of gold, said layer of absorbing material, and said layer of anti-reflective material;
- wherein a laser beam emitted through said aperture cools said ytterbium-doped glass providing cooling of said device to be cooled.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.