Thermal lens elimination by gradient-reduced zone coupling of optical beams
Patent
·
OSTI ID:873468
- San Ramon, CA
- Livermore, CA
A thermal gradient-reduced-zone laser includes a laser medium and an optically transparent plate with an index of refraction that is less than the index of refraction of the laser medium. The pump face of the laser medium is bonded to a surface of the optically transparent member. Pump light is directed through the transparent plate to optically pump the solid state laser medium. Heat conduction is mainly through the surface of the laser medium where the heat is introduced by the pump light. Heat flows in a direction opposite to that of the pump light because the side of the laser medium that is opposite to that of the pump face is not in thermal contact with a conductor and thus there is no heat flux (and hence, no temperature gradient), thus producing a thermal gradient-reduced zone. A laser cavity is formed around the laser medium such that laser light oscillating within the laser cavity reflects by total-internal-reflection from the interface between the pump face and the optically transparent plate and enters and exits through a thermal gradient-reduced zone.
- 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 6167069
- OSTI ID:
- 873468
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
/372/
beams
bonded
cavity
conduction
conductor
contact
coupling
directed
direction
direction opposite
elimination
enters
exits
flows
flux
formed
gradient
gradient-reduced
gradient-reduced-zone
heat
heat conduction
heat flow
heat flows
heat flux
hence
index
interface
introduced
laser
laser cavity
laser light
laser medium
lens
light
mainly
medium
opposite
optical
optical beam
optical beams
optically
optically pump
optically transparent
oscillating
plate
producing
pump
pump light
reflects
refraction
solid
surface
temperature
temperature gradient
thermal
thermal contact
thermal gradient
thermal lens
total-internal-reflection
transparent
transparent plate
zone
beams
bonded
cavity
conduction
conductor
contact
coupling
directed
direction
direction opposite
elimination
enters
exits
flows
flux
formed
gradient
gradient-reduced
gradient-reduced-zone
heat
heat conduction
heat flow
heat flows
heat flux
hence
index
interface
introduced
laser
laser cavity
laser light
laser medium
lens
light
mainly
medium
opposite
optical
optical beam
optical beams
optically
optically pump
optically transparent
oscillating
plate
producing
pump
pump light
reflects
refraction
solid
surface
temperature
temperature gradient
thermal
thermal contact
thermal gradient
thermal lens
total-internal-reflection
transparent
transparent plate
zone