Optically pumped alkali laser and amplifier using helium-3 buffer gas

Beach, Raymond J; Page, Ralph; Soules, Thomas; Stappaerts, Eddy; Wu, Sheldon Shao Quan

Title: Optically pumped alkali laser and amplifier using helium-3 buffer gas

Abstract

In one embodiment, a laser oscillator is provided comprising an optical cavity, the optical cavity including a gain medium including an alkali vapor and a buffer gas, the buffer gas including .sup.3He gas, wherein if .sup.4He gas is also present in the buffer gas, the ratio of the concentration of the .sup.3He gas to the .sup.4He gas is greater than 1.37.times.10.sup.-6. Additionally, an optical excitation source is provided. Furthermore, the laser oscillator is capable of outputting radiation at a first frequency. In another embodiment, an apparatus is provided comprising a gain medium including an alkali vapor and a buffer gas including .sup.3He gas, wherein if .sup.4He gas is also present in the buffer gas, the ratio of the concentration of the .sup.3He gas to the .sup.4He gas is greater than 1.37.times.10.sup.-6. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Inventors:

Beach, Raymond J ^[1]; Page, Ralph ^[2]; Soules, Thomas ^[1]; Stappaerts, Eddy ^[3]; Wu, Sheldon Shao Quan ^[1]

Livermore, CA
Castro Valley, CA
San Ramon, CA

Issue Date:: 2010-09-28

Research Org.:: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 1014554

Patent Number(s):: 7804876

Application Number:: US Patent Application 12/055,408

Assignee:: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (Livermore, CA)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):: H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01S - DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT

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H - ELECTRICITY H01 - BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS H01S - DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT
H01S3/036 - Means for obtaining or maintaining the desired gas pressure within the tube, e.g. by gettering, replenishing
H01S3/06741 - {Photonic crystal fibre, i.e. the fibre having a photonic bandgap}
H01S3/094057 - {by tapered duct or homogenized light pipe, e.g. for concentrating pump light}
H01S3/109 - Frequency multiplying, e.g. harmonic generation
H01S3/1106 - {Mode locking}
H01S3/1317 - {by controlling the temperature}
H01S3/227 - Metal vapour

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DOE Contract Number:: AC52-07NA27344

Resource Type:: Patent

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Citation Formats


                    Beach, Raymond J, Page, Ralph, Soules, Thomas, Stappaerts, Eddy, and Wu, Sheldon Shao Quan. Optically pumped alkali laser and amplifier using helium-3 buffer gas.  United States: N. p., 2010. 
        Web.

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                    Beach, Raymond J, Page, Ralph, Soules, Thomas, Stappaerts, Eddy, & Wu, Sheldon Shao Quan. Optically pumped alkali laser and amplifier using helium-3 buffer gas.  United States.

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                    Beach, Raymond J, Page, Ralph, Soules, Thomas, Stappaerts, Eddy, and Wu, Sheldon Shao Quan. Tue .  
        "Optically pumped alkali laser and amplifier using helium-3 buffer gas".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1014554.

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@article{osti_1014554,

  title        = {Optically pumped alkali laser and amplifier using helium-3 buffer gas},

  author       = {Beach, Raymond J and Page, Ralph and Soules, Thomas and Stappaerts, Eddy and Wu, Sheldon Shao Quan},

  abstractNote = {In one embodiment, a laser oscillator is provided comprising an optical cavity, the optical cavity including a gain medium including an alkali vapor and a buffer gas, the buffer gas including .sup.3He gas, wherein if .sup.4He gas is also present in the buffer gas, the ratio of the concentration of the .sup.3He gas to the .sup.4He gas is greater than 1.37.times.10.sup.-6. Additionally, an optical excitation source is provided. Furthermore, the laser oscillator is capable of outputting radiation at a first frequency. In another embodiment, an apparatus is provided comprising a gain medium including an alkali vapor and a buffer gas including .sup.3He gas, wherein if .sup.4He gas is also present in the buffer gas, the ratio of the concentration of the .sup.3He gas to the .sup.4He gas is greater than 1.37.times.10.sup.-6. Other embodiments are also disclosed.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2010},

  month        = {9}

}

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Works referenced in this record:

Cesium vapor laser pumped by a volume-Bragg-grating coupled quasi-continuous-wave laser-diode array
journal, April 2006

Wang, You; Kasamatsu, Tadashi; Zheng, Yujin
Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 88, Issue 14
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2192975

Rubidium and Cesium Excitation Transfer in Nearly Adiabatic Collisions with Inert Gases
journal, August 1968

Gallagher, Alan
Physical Review, Vol. 172, Issue 1
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.172.88

Inelastic collisions between excited alkali atoms and molecules. VII. Sensitized fluorescence and quenching in mixtures of rubidium with H ₂ , HD, D ₂ , N ₂ , CH ₄ , CD ₄ , C ₂ H ₄ , and C ₂ .H ₆
journal, November 1970

Hrycyshyn, E. S.; Krause, L.
Canadian Journal of Physics, Vol. 48, Issue 22
https://doi.org/10.1139/p70-343

Observation of collision induced processes in rubidium–ethane vapour
journal, June 1999

Konefał, Z.
Optics Communications, Vol. 164, Issue 1-3
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0030-4018(99)00161-3

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Title: Optically pumped alkali laser and amplifier using helium-3 buffer gas

Abstract

Citation Formats

Cesium vapor laser pumped by a volume-Bragg-grating coupled quasi-continuous-wave laser-diode array journal, April 2006

Rubidium and Cesium Excitation Transfer in Nearly Adiabatic Collisions with Inert Gases journal, August 1968

Inelastic collisions between excited alkali atoms and molecules. VII. Sensitized fluorescence and quenching in mixtures of rubidium with H 2 , HD, D 2 , N 2 , CH 4 , CD 4 , C 2 H 4 , and C 2 .H 6 journal, November 1970

Observation of collision induced processes in rubidium–ethane vapour journal, June 1999

Cesium vapor laser pumped by a volume-Bragg-grating coupled quasi-continuous-wave laser-diode array
journal, April 2006

Rubidium and Cesium Excitation Transfer in Nearly Adiabatic Collisions with Inert Gases
journal, August 1968

Inelastic collisions between excited alkali atoms and molecules. VII. Sensitized fluorescence and quenching in mixtures of rubidium with H ₂ , HD, D ₂ , N ₂ , CH ₄ , CD ₄ , C ₂ H ₄ , and C ₂ .H ₆
journal, November 1970

Observation of collision induced processes in rubidium–ethane vapour
journal, June 1999