Mode selection technique for a laser
AssigneeRofin-Sinar UK Ltd.
InventorsGavin Alan James Markillie, Jason Robert Lee
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Abstract
A mode selection technique in a laser is described wherein a recess is formed in a surface of a waveguide in the laser. The recess provides a region of free space propagation within the waveguide which preferentially selects the lowest order mode. A mode selective RF excited CO2 slab laser, having a stable resonator in the waveguide dimension and a negative branch unstable resonator in the non-waveguide dimension, is constructed and the position and size of the recess is considered to provide low order mode selection.
Claims15
A laser comprising:
- first and second parallel surfaces separated to form a waveguide on a first axis between said surfaces;
- a discharge region contained within at least a portion of said waveguide;
- a resonant cavity having a propagation axis orthogonal to said first axis;
- characterised in that:
- a recess is located on at least one of said surfaces, said recess being configured to create a region within said waveguide in which free space propagation occurs in the direction of said first axis.
A method of providing a mode selective laser, comprising the steps:
- (a) providing first and second parallel surfaces which can be arranged to form a waveguide therebetween;
- (b) machining a recess in at least one of said surfaces of said waveguide;
- (c) providing a resonant cavity around said waveguide;
- and
- (d) creating a gas discharge within at least a portion of said waveguide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.