Traveling wave unstable resonators for radial flow lasers
US3969688A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 14, 1975 |
| Grant date | Jul 13, 1976 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 14, 1995 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S3/083
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A radial flow ring laser having an unstable resonator configuration with a traveling wave optical path is disclosed. The gain medium forms a cylindrical sheath which is symmetric about a centerline axis through the resonator and the output beam is circular in cross section. The resonator geometry is based on first and second conical mirrors which are positioned symmetrically on the axis centerline and first and second annular mirrors which are symmetric about the axis and complete the ring path. The resonator description also includes an annular stripper mirror to produce the output beam of radiation and a suppression mirror to prevent a traveling wave in the undesired direction through the ring. An alternate embodiment includes a cylindrical folding mirror to cause the optical path to cross the centerline axis after each pass through the gain medium.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.