Title: High power regenerative laser amplifier

Abstract

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 bymore » 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. « less

Inventors:

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

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+ Show Inventor Affiliations

1. Livermore, CA
2. Dublin, CA

Issue Date:

1994-01-01

Research Org.:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

OSTI Identifier:

869153

Patent Number(s):

5285310

Assignee:

Regents of University of California (Oakland, 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

H01S3/025 - {of solid state lasers, e.g. housings or mountings}
H01S3/06 - Construction or shape of active medium
H01S3/08095 - {Zig-zag travelling beam through the active medium}
H01S3/0931 - {Imaging pump cavity, e.g. elliptical}
H01S3/235 - {Regenerative amplifiers}

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DOE Contract Number:  

W-7405-ENG-48

Resource Type:

Patent

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

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/