Variable-aperture cavity laser
US5822354A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 22, 1996 |
| Grant date | Oct 13, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 22, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S3/07
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A diffusion-cooled laser has a lasing region shaped to provide a high power output laser beam of a high optical quality. The lasing region, which contains a lasing medium, has a narrow-aperture section and a free-space section. The narrow-aperture section is defined by resonator walls spaced apart a sufficiently small distance that enables effective excitation and cooling of the lasing medium. The free-space section is defined by resonator walls spaced apart a sufficiently larger distance that enables the laser beam to expand without restriction from the resonator walls in the free-space section. The narrow-aperture section enables the laser to generate a high power laser beam using a relatively low (40 MHz) ISM frequency. The free-space section allows the laser beam to expand sufficiently to exit the lasing region with a shape that is easily focused by inexpensive optical elements.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.