Method of fabricating Q-switched microlasers
AssigneeLitton Systems, Inc.
InventorsBrian Lee Peterson, Daniel Peter Talenti, Emil John Bero
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Abstract
A Q-switched microlaser is provided that is capable of supporting a zig-zag resonation pattern in response to side pumping of the active gain medium so as to effectively lengthen the microresonator cavity without having to physically lengthen the microresonator cavity. As such, the microlaser can generate pulses having greater pulse widths and correspondingly greater pulse energies and average power levels than the pulses provided by conventional microlasers of a similar size. A corresponding fabrication method is also provided according to one embodiment of the present invention that permits a plurality of side pumped Q-switched microlasers to be fabricated in an efficient and repeatable manner.
Claims10
A method of fabricating a plurality of Q-switched microlasers comprising:
- providing a layer of a Q-switch material;
- growing an active gain medium upon the layer of Q-switch material to thereby form a composite structure having opposed major surfaces;
- and
- cutting the composite structure at a nonorthogonal angle α relative to the opposed major surfaces to thereby form the plurality of Q-switched microlasers, wherein each Q-switched microlaser defines a longitudinal axis and has opposed end faces that are disposed at the nonorthogonal angle α with respect to the longitudinal axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.