Rotary disk laser and amplifier configurations

US8422524B2 · kind B2 · utility

Inventor

• Santanu Basu · Palo Alto, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 9, 2009
• Grant date: Apr 16, 2013
• Expiry date: May 14, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S5/02423
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

There is provided a rotary disk laser module including disk comprised of at least one lasing material. The lasing material may be excited by a laser excitation source, such as an optical pump beam directed onto the disk. The laser gain region contains excited lasing material and extends between the first and second surfaces of the disk. A laser generator is formed when the gain region is brought into optical communication with a laser generator. A laser generator may be a laser oscillator or a laser amplifier. The disk may move in order to enable various lasing functionality to the laser module. For instance, the disk may rotate, translate, or tilt to rotate the gain region, provide various quantum effects, or to enable heat transfer with a heat sink. A high-power laser generator may be formed by using a number of disks containing lasing material, exciting the lasing material using at least one laser excitation source, and bringing them into optical communication with a laser generator.