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Laser Arrays that are Faster, Flexible and Efficient

Technology Benefits

Automates rapid change of the diode laser array pump source Boosts laser uniformity and efficiency Works in any environment Operates over a range of temperatures Functions over a range of output powers Minimize downtime

Technology Application

Commercial lasers Military lasers used in the field for designation and ranging

Detailed Technology Description

Pump cavities in lasers collect light from the pump source and deliver it to the gain medium where it is absorbed to power the laser. While diode lasers are excellent pump sources, the light can diverge and be hard to get into the gain medium. Old designs had reflecting surfaces which were either specular, providing high pump efficiency but poor uniformity, or scattering, providing good uniformity but low pump efficiency. The patented new design optimizes light behavior with a house shaped cross section called a roof top cavity, which employs a mixture of specular and scattering surfaces to achieve both uniform pumping and efficiency, improving the function of your laser. Previous pump cavity designs required re-alignment of the solid state laser resonator when the diode laser array needed to be altered, costing substantial time. This new pump cavity works with commercially-available diode laser arrays and can be configured to automate the rapid interchangeability of the pump source.

Supplementary Information

Inventor: Chen, Ying | Bass, Michael
Priority Number: US8320425B1
IPC Current: H01S0003091 | H01S000308 | H01S000309
US Class: 372075 | 372069 | 372092
Assignee Applicant: University of Central Florida Research Foundation Inc.lando
Title: Pump cavities for diode laser array pumped laser rods
Usefulness: Pump cavities for diode laser array pumped laser rods
Summary: Method of rapidly changing pump source in laser system.
Novelty: Method of changing pump source in laser system, involves pumping laser rod with pump diode laser array with wavelength spectrum for pumping at operating temperature, and connecting pump diode laser array to movable mounting structure

Industry

Optics

Sub Category

Laser

*Abstract

UCF researchers have developed a method of rapidly changing a pump source in a laser system that provides flexibility and saves valuable time. When modifying the laser array, this new design allows for rapidly adapting the laser to changes in temperature in any environment. The design increases stability and reliability during mechanism shifts necessary for peak efficiency, which can be automated by a sensor, preserving delicate resonator alignment and cutting downtime. From single watts to hundreds of watts of output, this pump cavity design functions over a wide range of output powers. You can now use this simple pump cavity to replace currently-marketed complex diode pumped laser designs at a reduced price and with convenient configurations, boosting your laserΓÇÖs efficiency to as high as 81%.

*Principal Investigator

Name: Michael Bass, Ph.D., Ying

Department: Chen

Country/Region

USA