Title:
ZIGZAG SLAB LASER AMPLIFIER WITH INTEGRAL REFLECTIVE SURFACE AND METHOD
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO2004098001
Kind Code:
A3
Abstract:
A solid-state laser beam amplifier with integrated reflective surface. A rectangular slab gain medium (50) receives a first portion of an input laser beam along a first zigzag reflection path within the slab. The gain medium (50) also receives a second portion of the input laser beam that has been reflected from an integral reflective surface (56) such that the two portions traverse the gain medium (50) along complementary zigzag paths. The zigzag paths are defined by total internal reflection of the beam portions as they propagate through the gain medium slab (50). A similar reflective surface (58) may be positioned relative to the exit end of the gain medium slab (50), which redirects all of the output beam portions in a parallel direction. The gain medium (50) may be Ytterbium or neodymium doped yttrium aluminum garnet. The gain medium (50) may be formed as a high aspect ration rectangular slab and may be clad with sapphire. The reflective surfaces may function by total internal reflection or may employ a reflective material, such as a dielectric coating. A section of undoped medium (52) may be applied to the entrance or exit end of the gain medium slab to control angles of incidence and refraction.
Inventors:
REEDER ROBIN A
MATTHEWS STEVEN C
BETIN ALEXANDER A
MATTHEWS STEVEN C
BETIN ALEXANDER A
Application Number:
PCT/US2004/013124
Publication Date:
February 03, 2005
Filing Date:
April 28, 2004
Export Citation:
Assignee:
RAYTHEON CO (US)
International Classes:
H01S3/06; H01S3/23; (IPC1-7): H01S3/06; H01S3/23
Foreign References:
| EP0973236A2 | 2000-01-19 |
Other References:
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 2000, no. 09 13 October 2000 (2000-10-13)
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 2002, no. 03 3 April 2002 (2002-04-03)
COYLE D B: "DESIGN OF A HIGH-GAIN LASER DIODE-ARRAY PUMPED ND:YAG ALTERNATING PRECESSIVE SLAB AMPLIFIER (APS AMPLIFIER)", IEEE JOURNAL OF QUANTUM ELECTRONICS, IEEE INC. NEW YORK, US, vol. 27, no. 10, 1 October 1991 (1991-10-01), pages 2327 - 2331, XP000234353, ISSN: 0018-9197
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 2002, no. 03 3 April 2002 (2002-04-03)
COYLE D B: "DESIGN OF A HIGH-GAIN LASER DIODE-ARRAY PUMPED ND:YAG ALTERNATING PRECESSIVE SLAB AMPLIFIER (APS AMPLIFIER)", IEEE JOURNAL OF QUANTUM ELECTRONICS, IEEE INC. NEW YORK, US, vol. 27, no. 10, 1 October 1991 (1991-10-01), pages 2327 - 2331, XP000234353, ISSN: 0018-9197
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