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US 6,728,273 B2Granted
Ultrashort-pulse laser machining system employing a parametric amplifier
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorMichael D. Perry
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Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for increasing the energy of chirped laser pulses to an output in the range 0.001 to over 10 millijoules at a repetition rate 0.010 to 100 kHz by using a two stage optical parametric amplifier utilizing a bulk nonlinear crystal wherein the pump and signal beam size can be independently adjusted in each stage.
Claims64
A method for amplifying a laser pulse, comprising:
- providing at least one oscillator pulse from an ultrashort-pulse, mode-locked oscillator;
- stretching said at least one oscillator pulse to produce at least one stretched pulse;
- directing said at least one stretched pulse onto at least one nonlinear crystal comprising bulk crystalline material;
- providing at least one pump pulse from a pump laser system, wherein said at least one pump pulses comprises a pulse duration within a range from 1 to 15 times the pulse duration of said at least one stretched pulse;
- and
- directing said at least one pump pulse onto said at least one nonlinear crystal, wherein said at least one stretched pulse and said at least one pump pulse are operatively directed at said at least one nonlinear crystal and operatively phase matched in said at least one nonlinear crystal to produce at least one amplified output signal pulse.
3 more elements
An apparatus for amplifying a laser pulse, comprising:
- an ultrashort-pulse, mode-locked oscillator for providing at least one oscillator pulse;
- a pulse stretcher for stretching said at least one oscillator pulse to produce at least one stretched pulse;
- at least one nonlinear crystal comprising bulk crystalline material;
- optics configured for directing said at least one stretched pulse onto said at least one nonlinear crystal;
- a short-pulse pump laser system for providing at least one pump pulse;
- and
- optics configured for directing said at least one pump pulse onto said at least one nonlinear crystal, wherein said at least one stretched pulse and said at least one pump pulse are operatively directed at said at least one nonlinear crystal and operatively phase matched in said at least one nonlinear crystal to produce at least one amplified output signal pulse.
4 more elements
An apparatus for amplifying a laser pulse, comprising:
- an ultrashort-pulse, mode-locked oscillator for providing at least one oscillator pulse;
- a pulse stretcher positioned to stretch said at least one oscillator pulse to produce at least one stretched pulse;
- at least one nonlinear crystal comprising bulk crystalline material positioned to receive said at least one stretched pulse;
- and
- a pump laser system for providing at least one pump pulse, wherein said at least one pump pulses comprises a pulse duration within a range from 1 to 15 times the pulse duration of said at least one stretched pulse, wherein said at least one nonlinear crystal is positioned to receive said at least one stretched pulse, wherein said at least one stretched pulse and said at least one pump pulse are operatively phase matched in said at least one nonlinear crystal to produce at least one amplified output signal pulse.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.