Electro-optic harmonic conversion to switch a laser beam out of a cavity

Patent · 19 October 1984

OSTI ID:5760319

Haas, R A; Henesian, M A

The present invention relates to switching laser beams out of laser cavities, and more particularly, it relates to the use of generating harmonics of the laser beam to accomplish the switching. When laser light is generatd in a laser cavity the problem arises of how to switch the laser light out of the cavity in order to make use of the resulting laser beam in a well known multitude of ways. These uses include range finding, communication, remote sensing, medical surgery, laser fusion applications and many more. The switch-out problem becomes more difficult as the size of the laser aperture grows such as in laser fusion applications. The final amplifier stages of the Nova and Novette lasers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are 46 centimeters with the laser beam expanded to 74 centimeters thereafter. Larger aperture lasers are planned.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• Assignee: Dept. of Energy
• Patent Number(s): None
• Application Number: ON: DE85011619
• OSTI ID: 5760319
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700208* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Inertial Confinement Technology
CONFINEMENT
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EQUIPMENT
HARMONICS
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
LASER RADIATION
LASERS
OPTICAL SYSTEMS
OSCILLATIONS
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
RADIATIONS
SWITCHES