Stable multi-fold telescopic laser resonator
US6442186B1 · kind B1 · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 17, 1999 |
| Grant date | Aug 27, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 17, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S3/2232
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A stable multi-fold telescopic resonator is applied to a slab laser to provide a high power laser beam of a high optical quality. The current invention could be applied to both waveguide and free-space slab lasers with either gas or solid-state active media. A reduced sensitivity to misalignment is achieved through the use of two short-radii concave folding mirrors forming a nearly-confocal or confocal optical resonator. In order to obtain a nearly-symmetrical output beam profile from the large thickness slab lasing medium, the resonator includes a slit diaphragm(s), positioned between the slab and resonator mirrors and aimed to eliminate higher order laser modes in the direction transverse to the plane of the slab. Furthermore, a three mirror multi-fold telescopic resonator is provided by substituting one of the resonator mirrors with a surface of one of the folding mirrors. Also, a four-mirror multi-fold telescopic resonator with the on-axis confocal or near-confocal folding mirror alignment is provided to cover a very large area slab lasing media.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.