Patent · US Expired

Laser apparatus

US4228406A · kind A · utility

25Cited by
6References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 10, 1978
Grant dateOct 14, 1980
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 10, 1998

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S2301/02
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Laser apparatus is described wherein an active laser element, such as the disc of a face-pumped laser, is mounted in a housing such that the weight of the element is supported by glass spheres which fill a chamber defined in the housing between the walls of the housing and the edges of the laser element. The uniform support provided by the spheres enable the chamber and the pump side of the laser element to be sealed without affecting the alignment or other optical properties of the laser element. Cooling fluid may be circulated through the sealed region by way of the interstices between the spheres. The spheres, and if desired also the cooling fluid may contain material which absorbs radiation at the wavelength of parasitic emissions from the laser element. These parasitic emissions enter the spheres through the interface along the edge surface of the laser element and it is desirable that the index of refraction of the spheres and cooling fluid be near the index of refraction of the laser element. Thus support, cooling, and parasitic suppression functions are all accomplished through the use of the arrangement.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.