Solid microlaser with optical pumping by vertical cavity semiconductor laser

• US 5,982,802 A
• Filed: 07/09/1997
• Issued: 11/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: LaBrunie, Guy, Aubert, Jean-Jacques, Thony, Philippe, Molva, Engin
• Primary Examiner(s): Bovernick, Rodney
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leung, Quyen Phan
• Application Number:
  US08/891,706
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 372/96, 372/50, 372/29, 372/25, 372/75
• US Class Current: 372/75
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0604 in the form of a plate or disc
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0615 Shape of end-face
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0627 the resonator being monolithic, e.g. microlaser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/08045 Single-mode emission
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/09415 the pumping beam being parallel to the lasing mode of the pumped medium, e.g. end-pumping
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/113 using intracavity saturable absorbers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/115 using intracavity electro-optic devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/026 Monolithically integrated components, e.g. waveguides, monitoring photo-detectors, drivers stabilisation of output H01S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/183 having only vertical cavities, e.g. vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers [VCSEL]
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18388 Lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/423 having a vertical cavity

Abstract

A microlaser having input and output mirrors defining a microlaser cavity, a solid active dielectric medium disposed in the microlaser cavity, and a pumping mechanism which pumps the microlaser and which includes at least one vertical cavity semiconductor laser. The microlaser may also include a microoptical focusing device, passive and/or active cavity switches. A plurality of such microlasers can be assembled to form a bidimensional network.

Claims

1. Microlaser comprising:

an input mirror and an output mirror defining a microlaser cavity,

a solid active dielectric medium disposed in said microlaser cavity, and

a pumping mechanism configured to pump the microlaser comprising at least one vertical cavity semiconductor laser.

2. Microlaser according to claim 1, further comprising a microoptical focussing device inserted between the vertical cavity semiconductor laser and the microlaser cavity.

3. Microlaser according to claim 1, wherein the microlaser cavity is stabilized.

4. Microlaser according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the pumping mechanism comprises a vertical cavity semiconductor laser network.

5. Microlaser according to claims 1 or 2, further comprising a passive cavity switch located inside the microlaser cavity.

6. Microlaser according to claims 1 or 2, further comprising an active cavity switch located inside the microlaser cavity.

7. Microlaser according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the vertical cavity semiconductor laser is based on InAlAs grown on an InP substrate, or based on AlGaAs grown on a GaAs substrate, or based on InGaAsP grown on an InP substrate, or based on InGaAs grown on a GaAs substrate, or based on InAlGaP grown on a GaAs substrate.

8. Microlaser according to claims 1 or 2, wherein a substrate of the vertical cavity semiconductor laser is etched in a shape of a lens.

9. Microlaser according to claim 1, wherein said solid active dielectric medium is a base material doped with active laser ions.

10. Microlaser according to claim 9, wherein said base material is a member selected from the group consisting of YAG (Y₂ Al₅ O₁₂), LMA (LaMgAl₁₁ O₁₂), YVO₄, YSO (Y₂ SiO₅), YLF (YLiF₄), and GdVO₄.

11. Microlaser according to claim 9, wherein said active laser ions are members selected from the group consisting of neodymium (Nd), erbium (er), erbium-ytterbium (Er+Yb), thulium(Tm), holmium (Ho), and thulium-holmium (Tm+Ho).

12. Microlaser according to claim 1, wherein said solid active dielectric medium is a doped glass.

13. Microlaser according to claim 12, wherein said glass is doped with erbium and ytterbium.

14. Microlaser system comprising a plurality of microlasers forming a bidimensional network, wherein each microlaser comprises:

a solid active dielectric medium,

an input and an output mirror, said input and output mirror defining a microlaser cavity, and

a pumping mechanism configured to pump the microlaser and comprising at least one vertical cavity semiconductor laser.

15. Microlaser system according to claim 14, wherein each microlaser further comprises a microoptical focusing device inserted between the vertical cavity semiconductor laser and the microlaser cavity.