Solid state laser Q-switch having radial color center distribution
US4833333A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 17, 1987 |
| Grant date | May 23, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 17, 2007 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S3/1681
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A passive laser Q-switch is fabricated from a crystal which can form saturable color centers, such as lithium fluoride. The arbitrarily long crystal is irradiated with electrons from the side, or radially, to impart a radial distribution of saturable color centers therein, with the highest density at the periphery of the crystal. Optionally, the crystal can also be irradiated axially with electrons or in any direction with another form of radiation having greater penetration into the crystal, such as gamma radiation, to establish a base level of saturable color centers throughout the crystal. The crystal having the radial distribution of color centers acts as a Q-switch, but additionally tends to reduce beam divergence and increase the brightness of the laser beam by virtue of the nonlinear bleaching mechanism.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.