Laser clamping assembly and method
First Claim
1. A laser clamping system for a laser medium in a solid state laser comprising:
- (a) a first member made from a heat conductive material;
(b) a second member constructed to allow a laser beam to pass therethrough substantially unattenuated, the laser medium being disposed between and in contact with the first and second member; and
(c) means for applying pressure to the laser medium through the first and second members to inhibit thermo-deformation of the laser medium.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A laser clamping system for a disc laser medium that includes two heat conductive members (one of which is optically transparent) positioned on either side of a disc laser. Pressure is applied to the conductive members to restrain the disc from deforming under pumping conditions to reduce the lensing effect. Thin disc geometry allows the thermal load of laser material to be much closer to the heat conductive members so that heat dissipation is generally more efficient than that of other geometric configurations (e.g. rod or slab). In disc lasers each part of the laser beam experiences the same temperature gradient so that there is no lensing effect caused by radial temperature distribution. It has been discovered that any resulting lensing effect is disc lasers is mainly from the thermo-mechanical deformation of the disc itself. Consequently, a disc laser with clamped boundary conditions using the system as described above reduces the lensing effect and enables scaling laser power to a much higher level compared to unclamped disc laser systems. The clamping system and method of the present invention also improves performance in rod and slab type laser medium geometries.
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Citations
58 Claims
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1. A laser clamping system for a laser medium in a solid state laser comprising:
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(a) a first member made from a heat conductive material;
(b) a second member constructed to allow a laser beam to pass therethrough substantially unattenuated, the laser medium being disposed between and in contact with the first and second member; and
(c) means for applying pressure to the laser medium through the first and second members to inhibit thermo-deformation of the laser medium. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A laser clamping system for a laser medium in a solid state laser comprising:
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(a) two heat conducting members, each heat conducting member having a generally planar surface, the two heat conducting members being oriented to receive the laser medium such that the laser medium contacts the generally planar surfaces of the two heat conducting members;
(b) at least one of the heat conducting members allows the laser beam to pass therethrough substantially unattenuated and unchanged; and
(c) pressure means for holding both heat conducting members in contact against the laser medium, whereby the heat conducting members and the pressure means remove heat from the laser medium under pumping conditions. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A thin-plate laser comprising:
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(a) a solid state laser medium configured as a thin-plate;
(b) two heat conductive members capturing the solid state laser medium therebetween, the two heat conductive members each generally conforming to one of a pair of opposed surfaces of the solid state laser medium to facilitate heat transfer from the solid state laser medium to the two heat conductive members;
(c) at least one of the heat conductive members being optically transparent to transmit pumping light from a source to the solid state laser medium; and
(d) force applying means for applying pressure to the heat conductive members to restrain the solid state laser medium from mechanical deformation under pumping conditions. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method for enhancing an output of a laser having a solid state laser medium, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) pumping the solid state laser medium through at least one of two heat conductive members, one heat conductive member being disposed in thermal contact with each of two generally opposed surfaces of the solid state laser medium;
(b) removing heat from the solid state laser medium via the two heat conductive members; and
(c) applying pressure to the heat conductive members to restrain the solid state laser medium from mechanically deforming under pumping conditions to mitigate thermal focusing and depolarization of laser radiation stimulated with the solid state laser medium. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50)
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51. A laser clamping system for a laser medium in a solid state laser comprising:
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(a) members arranged to sandwich the laser medium therebetween; and
(b) a device for applying pressure to the laser medium through the members to prevent thermally-induced mechanical distortion of the laser medium during operation. - View Dependent Claims (52)
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53. A thin-plate laser comprising:
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(a) a solid state laser medium configured as a thin plate;
(b) two heat conductive members capturing the solid state laser medium therebetween, the two heat conductive members each generally conforming to one of a pair of opposed surfaces of the solid state laser medium to facilitate heat transfer from the solid state laser medium to the two heat conductive members;
(c) at least one of the heat conductive members being optically transparent to transmit pumping light from a source to the solid state laser medium; and
(d) a device for applying pressure to the heat conductive members to restrain the solid state laser medium from mechanical deformation under pumping conditions.
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54. A method for operating a laser comprising the steps of:
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(a) sandwiching the laser medium between two layers; and
(b) applying an anti-deformation force to the laser medium during operation, said anti-deformation force being sufficient to restrain thermally induced mechanical distortion in the laser medium. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57)
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58. A solid state laser system comprising:
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(a) a solid state laser medium that when irradiated or pumped produces lasing action and that is prone to thermally induced mechanical distortion under pumping conditions, said laser medium having two substantially opposing planar and parallel end surfaces which are substantially perpendicular to a propagation axis of a laser beam;
(b) two heat conducting members for conducting heat away from the laser medium, each heat conducting member having a generally planar surface placed in contact with one of the planar and parallel laser medium end surfaces;
(c) at least one of the heat conducting members allowing the laser beam to pass therethrough; and
(d) a clamping device for applying sufficient clamping pressure to the laser material through the two heat conducting members to restrain the laser material from deforming as a result of thermally induced mechanical distortion under pumping conditions.
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Specification