Solid laser device

Details Solid laser device Solid laser device

1990-10-15

1992-06-23

Scott, Jr., Leon

Coherent light generators

Particular resonant cavity

372 95, 372 66, 372 99, 372108, H01S 308

Patent

active

051250012

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to solid laser devices, and more particularly to a solid laser device with a flat-plate-shaped laser medium.


BACKGROUND ART

A solid laser device is well known in the art in which a rod-shaped laser medium and a pumping lamp are positioned at the focal points of an elliptic reflecting box, respectively. In the solid laser device, a temperature distribution is established radially in the rod, so that the laser beam is subjected to the thermal lens effect and deteriorates in quality. This difficulty is serious for a high power laser. In order to overcome the difficulty, a solid laser device has been proposed in which a flat-plate-shaped laser medium (hereinafter referred to as "a slab-shaped laser medium", when applicable) is employed, and the optical path in the laser medium is zigzagged, so that thermo-optical distortions are canceled out in the laser medium.
One example of the above-described solid laser device has been disclosed by Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 254686/1985 (the term "OPI" as used herein means an "unexamined published application"). FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the optical arrangement of the solid laser device. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 designates a slab-shaped laser medium having a pair of optically smooth surfaces 1a which are in parallel with each other, and end faces 1b forming an angle of inclination with the surfaces; 2, a total reflection mirror arranged near one of the end faces 1b of the laser medium 1; 3, a partially reflecting mirror arranged near the other end face 1b, forming a stable resonator with the total reflection mirror 2; 4, a lamp for applying a pumping light beam to the laser medium 1; 5, a reflecting box made of reflecting mirrors, the reflecting box 5 containing the lamp 4 and the laser medium 1; 6, the water in the reflecting box 5; 7, the optical axis of a laser beam; and 8, a laser beam outputted through the partially reflecting mirror 3. Further in FIG. 1, vectors P and S are defined with respect to the plane which is defined by the optical axis 7 and the incident surfaces 1b to the laser medium 1. The vector S is perpendicular to the plane, and the vector P is in parallel with the latter.
The solid laser device thus designed operated as follows. The output light beam of the lamp 4 is reflected in the reflecting box 5, and is absorbed by the laser medium 1 to excite the latter. As a result, the laser medium 1 emits a light beam. The light beam is reflected by the total reflection mirror 2. The light beam thus reflected enters the laser medium after being refracted at the end face 1b of the laser medium 1. In the laser medium 1, the light beam is repeatedly reflected by the upper and lower surfaces 1a, thus reaching the other end face 1b. At the end face 1b, the light beam is refracted again, and advances to the partially reflecting mirror 3. The light beam reflected from the partially reflecting mirror 3 returns to the optical axis 7. Therefore, the light beam is amplified while reciprocating along the optical axis 7. When the light beam is amplified to a predetermined degree, then part of the light beam passes through the partially reflecting mirror 3; that is, it is taken, as a laser beam, out of the stable resonator.
In the above-described solid laser device with the slab-shaped laser medium 1, the optically smooth surfaces of the laser medium 1 are kept cooled at all times. In the laser medium, the light beam advances zigzag being reflected by the upper and lower optically smooth surfaces; that is, laser beam passes alternately through the surface region of the laser medium which is at low temperature and the middle region of the laser medium which is at high temperature. Accordingly, the laser beam is not subjected to thermal lens effect, and a high power laser output can be stably obtained.
In the solid laser device described above, the laser medium 1 is generally rectangular; that is, the width in the direction S is about two to five times the thickness in the direction P. Therefore, the laser

REFERENCES:
patent: 4423511 (1983-12-01), Morton
patent: 4429400 (1984-01-01), Kaye
patent: 4433418 (1984-02-01), Smith
patent: 4559627 (1985-12-01), Chun
patent: 4646314 (1987-02-01), Opower
patent: 4953175 (1990-08-01), DeSilvestri et al.

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