Multi-pass light amplifier
US5546222A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 18, 1993 |
| Grant date | Aug 13, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 18, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S5/5018
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A multiple-pass laser amplifier that uses optical focusing between subsequent passes through a single gain medium so that a reproducibly stable beam size is achieved within the gain region. A resonator or a White Cell cavity is provided, including two or more mirrors (planar or curvilinearly shaped) facing each other along a resonator axis and an optical gain medium positioned on a resonator axis between the mirrors or adjacent to one of the mirrors. In a first embodiment, two curvilinear mirrors, which may include adjacent lenses, are configured so that a light beam passing through the gain medium and incident on the first mirror is reflected by that mirror toward the second mirror in a direction approximately parallel to the resonator axis. A light beam translator, such as an optical flat of transparent material, is positioned to translate this light beam by a controllable amount toward or away from the resonator axis for each pass of the light beam through the translator. A second embodiment uses two curvilinear mirrors and one planar mirror, with a gain medium positioned in the optical path between each curvilinear mirror and the planar mirror. A third embodiment uses two curvi…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.