Passively Q-switched side pumped monolithic ring laser

US8275015B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US

Inventor

• Steven Li · Sunnyvale, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 31, 2009
• Grant date: Sep 25, 2012
• Expiry date: Jul 4, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S3/1643
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for generating a side-pumped passively Q-switched non-planar ring oscillator. The method introduces a laser into a cavity of a crystal, the cavity having a round-trip path formed by a reflection at a dielectrically coated front surface, a first internal reflection at a first side surface of the crystal at a non-orthogonal angle with the front, a second internal reflection at a top surface of the crystal, and a third internal reflection at a second side surface of the crystal at a non-orthogonal angle with the front. The method side pumps the laser at the top or bottom surface with a side pump diode array beam and generates an output laser emanating at a location on the front surface. The design can include additional internal reflections to increase interaction with the side pump. Waste heat may be removed by mounting the crystal to a heatsink.