High power regenerative laser amplifier
Abstract
A regenerative amplifier design capable of operating at high energy per pulse, for instance, from 20-100 Joules, at moderate repetition rates, for instance from 5-20 Hertz is provided. The laser amplifier comprises a gain medium and source of pump energy coupled with the gain medium; a Pockels cell, which rotates an incident beam in response to application of a control signal; an optical relay system defining a first relay plane near the gain medium and a second relay plane near the rotator; and a plurality of reflectors configured to define an optical path through the gain medium, optical relay and Pockels cell, such that each transit of the optical path includes at least one pass through the gain medium and only one pass through the Pockels cell. An input coupler, and an output coupler are provided, implemented by a single polarizer. A control circuit coupled to the Pockels cell generates the control signal in timed relationship with the input pulse so that the input pulse is captured by the input coupler and proceeds through at least one transit of the optical path, and then the control signal is applied to cause rotation of the pulse to a polarization reflected bymore »
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- OSTI Identifier:
- 5151857
- Patent Number(s):
- 5285310
- Application Number:
- PPN: US 7-822763
- Assignee:
- Univ. of California, Oakland, CA ()
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 21 Jan 1992
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 42 ENGINEERING; LASERS; DESIGN; AMPLIFICATION; CONTROL SYSTEMS; LASER MATERIALS; LASER RADIATION; REGENERATION; ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; MATERIALS; RADIATIONS; 426002* - Engineering- Lasers & Masers- (1990-)
Citation Formats
Miller, J L, Hackel, L A, Dane, C B, and Zapata, L E. High power regenerative laser amplifier. United States: N. p., 1994.
Web.
Miller, J L, Hackel, L A, Dane, C B, & Zapata, L E. High power regenerative laser amplifier. United States.
Miller, J L, Hackel, L A, Dane, C B, and Zapata, L E. Tue .
"High power regenerative laser amplifier". United States.
@article{osti_5151857,
title = {High power regenerative laser amplifier},
author = {Miller, J L and Hackel, L A and Dane, C B and Zapata, L E},
abstractNote = {A regenerative amplifier design capable of operating at high energy per pulse, for instance, from 20-100 Joules, at moderate repetition rates, for instance from 5-20 Hertz is provided. The laser amplifier comprises a gain medium and source of pump energy coupled with the gain medium; a Pockels cell, which rotates an incident beam in response to application of a control signal; an optical relay system defining a first relay plane near the gain medium and a second relay plane near the rotator; and a plurality of reflectors configured to define an optical path through the gain medium, optical relay and Pockels cell, such that each transit of the optical path includes at least one pass through the gain medium and only one pass through the Pockels cell. An input coupler, and an output coupler are provided, implemented by a single polarizer. A control circuit coupled to the Pockels cell generates the control signal in timed relationship with the input pulse so that the input pulse is captured by the input coupler and proceeds through at least one transit of the optical path, and then the control signal is applied to cause rotation of the pulse to a polarization reflected by the polarizer, after which the captured pulse passes through the gain medium at least once more and is reflected out of the optical path by the polarizer before passing through the rotator again to provide an amplified pulse. 7 figures.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Feb 08 00:00:00 EST 1994},
month = {Tue Feb 08 00:00:00 EST 1994}
}