Transversely pumped dye laser having improved conversion efficiency

Patent · Tue Mar 10 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:6196065

Herbst, R L

In a transversely pumped dye laser, such as a laser oscillator or laser amplifier, the optical pumping radiation is directed into the dye laser gain medium with the angle of divergence of the Poynting vector of the pumping wave radiation being not less than 45/sup 0/ and preferably 90/sup 0/ from the poynting vector, or its reciprocal, of the optical wave radiation being amplified within the dye laser gain medium, whereby transverse pumping is obtained. In addition, the optical pumping wave radiation is directed into the dye laser gain medium with the angular divergence of the polarization of the electric vector of the pumping wave radiation being not greater than 45/sup 0/, and preferably parallel to the polarization of the electric vector, or the reciprocal thereof, of the optical wave radiation which is being amplified by the dye laser gain medium, whereby the efficiency of conversion of pump energy into amplified optical wave energy is enhanced. In a preferred embodiment, the pump beam is directed generally parallel to and spaced from the output beam of the dye laser oscillator. A dye laser amplifier cell is disposed between the two beams and pump energy is directed through the amplifier cell generally in the opposite direction to that of the dye oscillator beam and approximately colinear therewith for longitudinal pumping in the amplifier.

• Assignee: Quanta Ray Inc
• Patent Number(s): US 4255718
• OSTI ID: 6196065
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420300* -- Engineering-- Lasers-- (-1989)
AMPLIFICATION
DESIGN
DYE LASERS
EFFICIENCY
GAIN
LASERS
LIQUID LASERS
OPTICAL PUMPING
POLARIZATION
PUMPING