High power regenerative laser amplifier

Patent · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:869153

Miller, John L ^[1]; Hackel, Lloyd A ^[1]; Dane, Clifford B ^[2]; Zapata, Luis E ^[1]

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1. Livermore, CA
2. Dublin, CA

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 (United States)
• 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

Related Subjects

power
regenerative
laser
amplifier
design
capable
operating
energy
pulse
instance
20-100
joules
moderate
repetition
rates
5-20
hertz
provided
comprises
medium
source
pump
coupled
pockels
cell
rotates
incident
beam
response
application
control
signal
optical
relay
defining
plane
near
rotator
plurality
reflectors
configured
define
path
transit
pass
input
coupler
output
implemented
single
polarizer
circuit
generates
timed
relationship
captured
proceeds
applied
rotation
polarization
reflected
passes
passing
provide
amplified
repetition rates
output coupler
control circuit
repetition rate
control signal
optical path
laser amplifier
input pulse
incident beam
pockels cell
regenerative amplifier
pump energy
regenerative laser
circuit coupled
amplifier comprises
cell generates
pulse passes
optical relay
input coupler
energy coupled
amplified pulse
/359/372/