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US 7,212,558 B2Granted
Liquid heat capacity lasers
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsBrian J. Comaskey, Karl F. Scheibner, Earl R. Ault
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The heat capacity laser concept is extended to systems in which the heat capacity lasing media is a liquid. The laser active liquid is circulated from a reservoir (where the bulk of the media and hence waste heat resides) through a channel so configured for both optical pumping of the media for gain and for light amplification from the resulting gain.
Claims11
A method of operating an optically pumped flowing liquid state laser gain medium in the heat capacity regime, comprising:
- flowing a liquid state laser gain medium in a system comprising a reservoir and an optical pumping and lasing channel;
- optically pumping said gain medium for a pumping period of time determined by
- τ
- =
- (
- ɛ
- extr
- /
- χ
- )
-
- C
- p
-
- Δ
-
-
- T
-
- (
- M
- in
-
-
- resonator
- +
- M
- in
-
-
- reservoir
- )
- P
- out
- ,
- wherein Min resonator is the mass if said gain medium within said optical pumping and lasing channel, Min reservoir is the mass of said gain medium in the flow lines and reservoir external to said optical pumping and lasing channel, Cp is the specific heat of said gain medium, ΔT is the bulk temperature change of the entirety of said gain medium during a heat capacity sequence, Pout is the desired output power, εextr is the extraction efficiency and χ is the ratio of energy released as heat to the energy in the upper lasing level (giving gain) of said gain medium;
- and
- cooling said gain medium for a cooling period of time determined by
- τ
- cool
- =
- C
- p
-
- Δ
-
-
- T
-
- (
- M
- in
-
-
- resonator
- +
- M
- in
-
-
- reservoir
- )
- Q
- cool
- ,
- wherein cooling said gain medium is accomplished physically remote from said optical pumping and lasing channel, wherein Qcool is the average cooling rate of said gain medium.
63 more elements
A method of operating an optically pumped flowing liquid state laser gain medium in the heat capacity regime, comprising:
- flowing a liquid state laser gain medium in a system comprising a reservoir and an optical pumping and lasing channel;
- optically pumping said gain medium for a pumping period of time determined by
- τ
- =
- (
- ɛ
- extr
- /
- χ
- )
-
- C
- p
-
- Δ
-
-
- T
-
- (
- M
- in
-
-
- resonator
- +
- M
- in
-
-
- reservoir
- )
- P
- out
- ,
- wherein Min resonator is the mass of said gain medium within said optical pumping and lasing channel, Min reservoir is the mass of said gain lasing channel, Cp is the specific heat of said gain medium, ΔT is the bulk temperature change of the entirety of said gain medium during a heat capacity sequence, Pout is the desired output power, εextr is the extraction efficiency and χ is the ratio of energy released as heat to the energy in the upper lasing level (giving gain) of said gain medium;
- and
- cooling said gain medium for a cooling period of time determined by
- τ
- cool
- =
- C
- p
-
- Δ
-
-
- T
-
- (
- M
- in
-
-
- resonator
- +
- M
- in
-
-
- reservoir
- )
- Q
- cool
- ,
- wherein Qcool is the average cooling rate of said gain medium, wherein said gain medium is optically pumped with a pumping system selected from the group consisting of a laser diode array, a flash lamp, an arc lamp and a solar collector.
63 more elements
A method of operating an optically pumped flowing liquid state laser gain medium in the heat capacity regime, comprising:
- flowing a liquid state laser gain medium in a system comprising a reservoir and an optical pumping and lasing channel;
- optically pumping said gain medium for a pumping period of time determined by
- τ
- =
- (
- ɛ
- extr
- /
- χ
- )
-
- C
- p
-
- Δ
-
-
- T
-
- (
- M
- in
-
-
- resonator
- +
- M
- in
-
-
- reservoir
- )
- P
- out
- ,
- wherein Min resonator is the mass of said gain medium within said optical pumping and lasing channel, Min reservoir is the mass of said gain medium in the flow lines and reservoir external to said optical pumping and lasing channel, Cp is the specific heat of said gain medium, ΔT is the bulk temperature change of the entirety of said gain medium during a heat capacity sequence, Pout is the desired output power, εextr is the extraction efficiency and χ is the ratio of energy released as heat to the energy in the upper lasing level (giving gain) of said gain medium;
- and
- cooling said gain medium for a cooling period of time determined by
- τ
- cool
- =
- C
- p
-
- Δ
-
-
- T
-
- (
- M
- in
-
-
- resonator
- +
- M
- in
-
-
- reservoir
- )
- Q
- cool
- ,
- wherein Qcool is the average cooling rate of said gain medium, wherein said gain medium in said optical pumping and lasing channel is not in thermal isolation.
63 more elements
A method of operating an optically pumped flowing liquid state laser gain medium in the heat capacity regime, comprising:
- flowing a liquid state laser gain medium in a system comprising a reservoir and an optical pumping and lasing channel;
- optically pumping said gain medium for a pumping period of time determined by
- τ
- =
- (
- ɛ
- extr
- /
- χ
- )
-
- C
- p
-
- Δ
-
-
- T
-
- (
- M
- in
-
-
- resonator
- +
- M
- in
-
-
- reservoir
- )
- P
- out
- ,
- wherein Min resonator is the mass of said gain medium within said optical pumping and lasing channel, Min reservoir is the mass of said gain medium in the flow lines and reservoir external to said optical pumping and lasing channel, Cp is the specific heat of said gain medium, ΔT is the bulk temperature change of the entirety of said gain medium during a heat capacity sequence, Pout is the desired output power, εextr is the extractionefficiency and χ is the ratio of energy released as heat to the energy in the upper lasing level (giving gain) of said gain medium;
- and
- cooling said gain medium for a cooling period of time determined by
- τ
- cool
- =
- C
- p
-
- Δ
-
-
- T
-
- (
- M
- in
-
-
- resonator
- +
- M
- in
-
-
- reservoir
- )
- Q
- cool
- ,
- wherein Qcool is the average cooling rate of said medium, wherein said τ may, for fixed choice of said gain medium and for fixed said heat capacity regime resonator design, be made arbitrarily large by increasing value of said Min reservoir.
63 more elements
A method of operating an optically pumped flowing liquid state laser gain medium in the heat capacity regime, comprising optically pumping this medium for a period of time determined by
- τ
- =
- (
- ɛ
- extr
- /
- χ
- )
-
- C
- p
-
- Δ
-
-
- T
-
- (
- M
- in
-
-
- resonator
- +
- M
- in
-
-
- reservoir
- )
- P
- out
- ,
- where Min reservoir is the liquid media within the optical pumping and lasing channel of the laser, Min reservoir is the liquid gain media in the flow lines and reservoir external to the laser action, Cp is the specific heat of the liquid gain medium, ΔT is the bulk temperature change of the entirety of the liquid gain medium during the heat capacity sequence, Pout is the desired output power of said laser, εextr is the laser system's extraction efficiency and χ is the ratio of energy released as heat to the energy in the upper lasing level (given gain), wherein the step of optically pumping includes optically pumping Nd dissolved in Thionyl Chloride;
- and
- precooling said liquid gain medium in said reservoir to a temperature below room temperature prior to said optical pumping step.
33 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.