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US 7,548,573 B2Granted
Rotary disk, rotary disk module, and rotary disk laser and amplifier configurations
OwnerSantanu Basuinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is provided a rotary disk laser module including disk comprised of at least one lasing material. The disk further includes a first surface, a second surface and a gain region. The gain region contains excited lasing material and extends between the first and second surfaces. The lasing material may be excited by a pump beam directed onto the disk. A laser is generated when the gain region is brought into optical communication with a laser generator. The disk may move in order to enable various lasing functionality to the laser module. For instance, the disk may rotate, translate, or tilt to rotate the gain region, provide various quantum effects, or to enable heat transfer with a heat sink.
Claims55
A laser module being operative to extract energy from a laser disk by achieving multiple passing through the disk, the laser module comprising:
- a disk comprised of lasing material having opposing first and second surfaces and a gain region comprised of excited lasing material, the disk being rotatable about a rotation axis;
- a rotation mechanism in mechanical communication with the disk for rotating the disk;
- a laser beam passing through the gain region by entering through the first surface and exiting through the second surface;
- a heat sink disposed substantially adjacent at least a portion of the disk such that as the disk rotates, heat from different portions of the disk dissipates as each portion comes into thermal communication with the heat sink;
- first and second mirrors positioned along the laser axis adjacent the second surface, wherein the first mirror is oriented to receive the laser from the laser source and reflect the laser toward the second mirror, and wherein the second mirror is oriented to receive the laser from the first mirror and reflect the laser through the gain region;
- third mirror positioned along the laser axis, the third mirror being oriented to receive the laser beam from the second mirror and reflect the laser beam through the gain region.
3 more elements
A laser module being operative to multiplex a lasing disk, the laser module comprising:
- a disk comprised of lasing material having a gain region, the disk being rotatable about a rotation axis;
- a rotation member being operative to rotate the disk;
- a plurality of pump sources, each pump source being operative to direct a respective pump beam toward the disk, the pump beams being incident on the disk to excite the lasing material in the gain region;
- a heat sink disposed substantially adjacent at least a portion of the disk such that as the disk rotates, heat from different portions of the disk dissipates as each portion comes into thermal communication with the heat sink;
- at least one laser generator in optical communication with the gain region, each of the at least one laser generator being operative to produce a respective laser beam;
- at least one of the laser generators is an oscillator containing an optical resonator defined by a number of mirrored surfaces along a common oscillator axis.
3 more elements
A laser module being operative to multiplex a lasing disk, the laser module comprising:
- a disk comprised of lasing material having a gain region, the disk being rotatable about a rotation axis;
- a rotation member being operative to rotate the disk;
- a plurality of pump sources, each pump source being operative to direct a respective pump beam toward the disk, the pump beams being incident on the disk to excite the lasing material in the gain region;
- a heat sink disposed substantially adjacent at least a portion of the disk such that as the disk rotates, heat from different portions of the disk dissipates as each portion comes into thermal communication with the heat sink;
- at least one laser generator in optical communication with the gain region, each of the at least one laser generator being operative to produce a respective laser beam;
- at least one of the laser generators is an amplifier defining an incident input laser beam.
3 more elements
A laser module being operative to generate and alter a laser characteristics, the laser module comprising:
- a disk comprised of lasing material having a gain region comprised of excited lasing material;
- wherein the disk includes a first portion comprised of a first lasing material and a second portion comprised of a second lasing material,
- a first laser generator being operative to generate a first laser beam along a first generator axis, the first laser generator being in optical communication with the gain region;
- the first portion being capable of producing a first laser beam when the first portion gain region is in optical communication with the first laser generator and the second portion being capable of producing a second laser beam when the second portion gain region is in optical communication with the second laser generator;
- a disk displacement mechanism in mechanical communication with the disk, the displacement mechanism being operative to move the disk such that as the disk moves, the first laser characteristics vary;
- and
- the disk displacement mechanism rotates the disk about a rotation axis to separately position the first and second portions in optical communication with the first laser generator.
4 more elements
A laser module being operative to generate and alter a laser characteristics, the laser module comprising:
- a disk comprised of lasing material having a gain region comprised of excited lasing material;
- a first laser generator being operative to generate a first laser beam along a first generator axis, the first laser generator being in optical communication with the gain region;
- a disk displacement mechanism in mechanical communication with the disk, the displacement mechanism being operative to move the disk such that as the disk moves, the first laser characteristics vary;
- and
- wherein the disk includes a disk thickness equal to the distance between the first and second surfaces along the generator axis, wherein the first laser wavelength varies as the disk thickness varies.
2 more elements
A laser module comprising:
- a lasing disk comprised of lasing material having a gain region;
- a non-lasing disk disposed adjacent the lasing disk, the non-lasing disk being operative to perform a non-lasing function, wherein the lasing disk and non-lasing disk are rotatable about a common rotation axis;
- a rotation member being operative to rotate the lasing disk and non-lasing disk;
- a heat sink disposed substantially adjacent at least a portion of the lasing disk such that as the lasing disk rotates, heat from different portions of the lasing disk dissipates as each portion comes into thermal communication with the heat sink;
- the non-lasing disk is operative to absorb heat from the lasing disk;
- the non-lasing disk is bonded to the lasing disk;
- and
- a first laser generator in optical communication with the gain region, the first laser generator being operative to produce a laser having a first wavelength.
5 more elements
A high-powered laser device comprising:
- a laser module being operative to produce a high powered laser, the laser module comprising:
- a disk comprised of lasing material having a gain region;
- the lasing material selected from the group consisting of Yb-YAG, Nd-YAG, Yb-YAG ceramic, and Nd-YAG ceramic
- a rotation member being operative to rotate the disk;
- a pump source being operative to direct a plurality of pump beams toward the disk;
- a focusing lens in optical communication with the plurality of pump beams, the focusing lens being operative to focus the plurality of pump beams onto the gain region;
- a laser generator in optical communication with the gain region, the laser generator being operative to generate a first laser beam;
- a heat sink disposed substantially adjacent at least a portion of the disk such that as the disk rotates, heat from different portions of the disk dissipates as each portion comes into thermal communication with the heat sink;
- a heat transfer gap between the heat sink and the disk;
- and
- a gas disposed within the heat transfer gap to facilitate heat removal from the disk.
8 more elements
A laser module comprising:
- a disk comprised of lasing material having opposed first and second surfaces and a gain region comprised of excited lasing material;
- a disk displacement mechanism mechanically connected to the disk, the disk displacement mechanism being operative to displace the disk;
- a first laser generator in optical communication with the gain region, the first laser generator being operative to produce a first laser beam;
- and
- a first diffraction grating disposed on the first surface adjacent the gain region, the first diffraction grating being operative to alter the optical characteristics of the first laser beam;
- the first diffraction grating is operative to perform communication via the first laser beam;
- and
- a heat sink disposed substantially adjacent at least a portion of the disk such that as the disk is displaced, heat from different portions of the disk dissipates as each portion comes into thermal communication with the heat sink.
5 more elements
A method of generating a laser, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a laser module comprising:
- a disk comprised of a lasing material having a gain region comprised of excited lasing material;
- and
- at least one laser generator being operative to generate a laser beam;
- b. directing at least one pump beam onto the disk to excite the lasing material within the gain region, wherein each pump beam is incident on the disk at the gain region;
- c. positioning excited lasing material in optical communication with at least one generator;
- d. step (c) includes rotating the disk about a rotation axis;
- and
- e. further comprising the step of passing the disk through a heat sink to extract heat from the disk, the heat sink being disposed substantially adjacent at least a portion of the disk such that as portions of the disk pass there through, heat from different portions of the disk dissipates as each portion comes into thermal communication with the heat sink.
6 more elements
A method of generating a laser, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a laser module comprising:
- a laser generator being operative to produce a first laser beam;
- and
- a disk comprised of a lasing material having opposing first and second surfaces and a gain region containing excited lasing material;
- wherein the disk is configured to alter the optical characteristics of the first laser beam as the disk thickness varies, the disk thickness being the distance between the first and second surfaces along the generator axis;
- and
- b. varying the disk thickness to vary the optical characteristics of the first laser beam.
4 more elements
A method of generating a laser, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a laser module comprising:
- a disk comprised of a lasing material, the disk including:
- a gain region containing excited lasing material;
- a first portion comprised of a first lasing material and a second portion comprised of a second lasing material, the first portion being capable of producing a first laser having a first wavelength and the second portion being capable of producing a second laser having a second wavelength;
- and
- a laser generator being operative to generate a laser beam when in optical communication with the gain region;
- and
- b. positioning the first portion gain region and the second portion gain region such that the first portion gain region and second portion gain region are in separate optical communication with the laser generator;
- c. wherein step (b) includes rotating the disk about a rotation axis.
6 more elements
A method of generating a laser, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a plurality of laser modules, each module comprising:
- a disk comprised of lasing material having opposing first and second surfaces and a gain region;
- lasing material selected from the group consisting of Yb-YAG, Nd-YAG, Yb-YAG ceramic, and Nd-YAG ceramic;
- a rotation member being operative to rotate the disk;
- a pump source being operative to direct a plurality of input pump beams toward the disk;
- a focusing lens in optical communication with the plurality of input pump beams, the focusing lens being operative to focus the plurality of input pump beams onto the gain region;
- a laser generator in optical communication with the gain region, the laser generator being operative to generate a first laser;
- and
- a heat sink disposed substantially adjacent at least a portion of the disk such that as the disk rotates, heat from different portions of the disk dissipates as each portion comes into thermal communication with the heat sink;
- a heat transfer gap between the heat sink and the disk;
- a gas disposed within the heat transfer gap to facilitate heat removal from the disk;
- b. arranging the modules in side-by-side arrangement such that the disk gain regions are in optical communication with the laser generator along a common generator axis;
- c. directing the input pump beam from the focusing lens onto each module disk to excite the lasing material within the gain region;
- and
- d. positioning the respective gain regions such that the gain regions are in optical communication with the laser generator.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.