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High power regenerative laser amplifier

Patent ·
OSTI ID:869153
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [1]
  1. Livermore, CA
  2. Dublin, CA
+ Show Author Affiliations
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.
Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
Assignee:
Regents of University of California (Oakland, CA)
Patent Number(s):
US 5285310
OSTI ID:
869153
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (4)

Electronic linewidth narrowing method for single axial mode operation of Q-switched Nd: YAG lasers journal June 1981
Regenerative YAG:Nd 3+ amplifier with a stimulated Brillouin scattering mirror journal September 1988
Multikilowatt Pockels cell for high average power laser systems journal September 1990
Regenerative amplification in a XeCl excimer laser with a phase-conjugating Brillouin mirror journal March 1984

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/359/372/
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