Patent · US Expired

Laser-diode-pumped laser apparatus in which Pr3+-doped laser medium is pumped with GaN-based compound laser diode

US6490309B1 · kind B1 · utility

33Cited by
3References
28Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 21, 2000
Grant dateDec 3, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 23, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01S5/34333
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In a laser-diode-pumped laser apparatus, a solid-state laser crystal doped with at least one rare-earth element including at least Pr3+ is pumped with a laser diode, and emits laser light. In the first aspect, the laser diode has an active layer made of one of an InGaN, InGaNAs, and GaNAs materials, and an optical wavelength conversion element converts the solid-state laser light into ultraviolet laser light by wavelength conversion. In the second aspect, the solid-state laser crystal is codoped with Pr3+ and at least one of Er3+, Ho3+, Dy3+, Eu3+, Sm3+, Pm3+, and Nd3+. In the third aspect, instead of the solid-state laser crystal, an optical fiber codoped with Pr3+ and at least one of Er3+, Ho3+, Dy3+, Eu3+, Sm3+, Pm3+, and Nd3+ is pumped with a GaN-based compound laser diode. In the fourth aspect, an optical fiber codoped with Pr3+ and at least one of Er3+, Ho3+, Dy3+, Eu3+, Sm3, Pm3, and Nd3+ amplifies incident light having a wavelength which is identical with a wavelength of fluorescence generated by pumping of the optical fiber with a GaN-based compound laser diode.

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