Oscillators – Molecular or particle resonant type
Patent
1978-01-25
1979-11-13
Sikes, William L.
Oscillators
Molecular or particle resonant type
H01S 311
Patent
active
041745043
ABSTRACT:
A laser having a gaseous gain medium capable of continuous wave operation and including an etalon with a Stark active gas disposed therein, adapted for providing submicrosecond pulses is disclosed. A method of utilizing the Stark effect to tune rapidly an etalon to form an output mirror having a variable reflectivity to Q-switch and cavity dump the optical flux within a laser to provide an output pulse of laser radiation having a submicrosecond pulse width, typically variable between fifty and three hundred fifty nanoseconds, at a pulse repetition frequency up to twenty-five kilohertz is disclosed. A laser typically having a carbon dioxide gain medium adapted for continuous wave operation includes a grating defining one end of the laser resonator and an output mirror defining the other end wherein the output mirror is an etalon formed with two mirrors containing a switching cell having a Stark active gas disposed therein. A voltage applied to the switching cell rapidly transforms the highly transmissive state of the output mirror to a highly reflective state to Q-switch the laser. Terminating the voltage rapidly transforms the highly reflective state of the output mirror to its original highly transmissive state to cavity dump the Q-switched optical pulse. Controlling the width, fall time and repetition rate of the voltage pulse controls the pulse intensity, pulse width and pulse repetition frequency of the laser output pulses.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3500241 (1970-03-01), Bjorkholm
patent: 3609586 (1971-09-01), Danielmeyer
patent: 3764937 (1973-10-01), Skolnick
Shimizu, Q-Switching of N.sub.2 O and CO.sub.2 Lasers by Stark Effect of Ammonia, Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 16, (May 1970), pp. 368-370.
Hall et al., High-Efficiency Driven Q Switching of the CO.sub.2 Laser Using the Stark Effect in Molecular Gases, IEEE J. Quant. Electr., vol. QE-7, (Aug. 1971), pp. 427-429.
Buczek Carl J.
Chenausky Peter P.
Wayne Robert J.
Cavanaugh Lawrence A.
Sikes William L.
United Technologies Corporation
LandOfFree
Apparatus and method for cavity dumping a Q-switched laser does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus and method for cavity dumping a Q-switched laser, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus and method for cavity dumping a Q-switched laser will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2273391