Organic laser that is attachable to an external pump beam light source

• US 6,845,114 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2002
• Issued: 01/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Patton, David L., Manico, Joseph A., Covannon, Edward, Spoonhower, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Minsun Oh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Armando
• Application Number:
  US10/272,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20040076202A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 372/7, 372/39, 372/40, 372/45, 372/46, 372/50, 372/53, 372/54, 372/68, 372/69, 372/70, 372/71, 372/107, 372/65, 372/20, 372/9, 372/21, 372/22, 372/26, 372/29.011, 372/43, 372/99, 372/108, 257/40
• US Class Current: 372/39
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02326 Arrangements for relative positioning of laser diodes and optical components, e.g. grooves in the mount to fix optical fibres or lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/041 Optical pumping
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18383 with periodic active regions at nodes or maxima of light intensity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/36 comprising organic materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/423 having a vertical cavity

Abstract

A vertical cavity organic laser device, that includes: an organic laser cavity including: a bottom dielectric stack for receiving and transmitting pump beam light and being reflective to laser light over a predetermined range of wavelengths; an organic active region for receiving transmitted pump beam light from the bottom dielectric stack and for emitting the laser light; a top dielectric stack for reflecting transmitted pump beam light and laser light from the organic active region back into the organic active region, wherein a combination of the bottom and the top dielectric stacks and the organic active region produces the laser light; the device further including an external pump beam light source for optically pumping light to the organic laser cavity; and a positioner for locating the organic laser cavity in a spaced relationship to the external pump beam light source.

Claims

1. A vertical cavity organic laser device having a substantially low threshold for optical excitation, wherein the optical excitation occurs below 0.1 W/cm² power density, comprising:

a) an organic laser cavity and having a substantially low threshold for optical excitation including;

a1) a bottom dielectric stack for receiving and transmitting pump beam light and being reflective to laser light over a predetermined range of wavelengths;

a2) an organic active region for receiving transmitted pump beam light from the first dielectric stack and for emitting the laser light; and

a3) a top dielectric stack for reflecting transmitted pump beam light and the laser light from the organic active region back into the organic active region, wherein a combination of the bottom and the top dielectric stacks and the organic active region produces the laser light;

b) an external pump beam light source for optically pumping light to the organic laser cavity having a substantially low threshold for optical excitation; and

c) a positioner for holding and/or adjusting the organic laser cavity having a substantially low threshold for optical excitation in a spaced relationship to the external pump beam light source.

2. The vertical cavity organic laser device according to claim 1, wherein the output of the vertical cavity organic laser device is one specific wavelength of light.

3. The vertical cavity organic laser device according to claim 2, further comprising:

d) a sensor for sensing the one specific wavelength of light.

4. The vertical cavity organic laser device according to claim 1, further comprising:

d) an optical element for directing the light from the external pump beam light source to the organic laser cavity.

5. The vertical cavity organic laser device according to claim 1, wherein the output of the vertical cavity organic laser device having been one specific wavelength of light is dynamically shifted to another specific wavelength of light by way of a means for changing frequency of input laser light.

6. The vertical cavity organic laser device according to claim 1, wherein the positioner includes a connector such that the external pump beam light source connects to the organic laser cavity.

7. The vertical cavity organic laser device according to claim 6, wherein the connector fixedly connects the external pump beam light source to the organic laser cavity while providing an interface for containing an optical refractive index matching medium.

8. The vertical cavity organic laser device according to claim 6, wherein the connector fixedly connects the external pump beam light source to the organic laser cavity.

9. The vertical cavity organic laser device according to claim 7, wherein the connector has an optical refractive index matching medium with adhesive properties.

10. The vertical cavity organic laser device according to claim 6, wherein the connector fixedly connects the external pump beam light source to the organic laser cavity while providing a chamber for containing an optical refractive index matching medium.

24. The vertical cavity organic laser device claimed in claim 1, wherein the positioner includes a spectral modifying medium.

26. The vertical cavity organic laser device claimed in claim 4, wherein the optical element for directing light includes a light gathering mechanism.

28. The vertical cavity organic laser device according to claim 1, wherein the vertical cavity organic laser device is inverted so that the vertical cavity organic laser device is optically pumped through the top dielectric stack and the laser light is reflected from the bottom dielectric stack and emitted through the top dielectric stack.

29. The vertical cavity organic laser device according to claim 3, wherein the sensor is a photo-multiplier tube.

30. The vertical cavity organic laser device according to claim 3, wherein the sensor is an inorganic semi-conductor photo-voltaic sensor.

31. The vertical cavity organic laser device according to claim 3, wherein the sensor is an organic semi-conductor photo-voltaic sensor.

32. The vertical cavity organic laser device according to claim 3, wherein the sensor is an inorganic based photo-current sensor.

33. The vertical cavity organic laser device according to claim 3, wherein the sensor is an organic based photo-current sensor.

11. At least two vertical cavity organic laser devices each having a substantially low threshold for optical excitation, wherein the optical excitation occurs below 0.1 W/cm² power density, comprising:

a) an organic laser cavity, having a substantially low threshold for optical excitation, for each of the at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices including;

a1) a bottom dielectric stack for receiving and transmitting pump beam light and being reflective to laser light over a predetermined range of wavelengths for each of the at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices;

a2) an organic active region for receiving transmitted pump beam light from the bottom dielectric stack for each of the at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices and for emitting the laser light; and

a3) a top dielectric stack for reflecting transmitted pump beam light and laser light from the organic active region back into the organic active region, wherein a combination of the bottom and top dielectric stacks and the organic active region produces the laser light for each of the at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices;

b) an external pump beam light source for optically pumping light to each of the at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices at a substantially low threshold for optical excitation; and

c) a positioner for holding and/or adjusting each of the at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices, having a substantially low threshold for optical excitation, in a spaced relationship to the external pump beam light source.

12. The at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices are arranged in a pattern.

13. The at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices claimed in claim 11, wherein the output of the at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices is one specific wavelength of light.

14. The at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices claimed in claim 11, wherein the output of the at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices are a plurality of specific wavelengths of light.

15. The at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

d) at least one sensor for sensing the one specific wavelength of light.

16. The at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

d) at least one sensor for sensing the plurality of specific wavelengths of light.

17. The at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

d) an optical element for directing the light from the external pump beam light source to each of the at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices.

18. The at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices claimed in claim 11, wherein the output of the at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices having been one specific wavelength of light is dynamically shifted to another specific wavelength of light.

19. The at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices claimed in claim 11, wherein the positioner includes a connector such that the external pump beam light source connects to the at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices.

20. The at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices claimed in claim 19, wherein the connector fixedly connects the external pump beam light source to the at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices while providing an interface for containing an optical refractive index matching medium.

21. The at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices claimed in claim 19, wherein the connector fixedly connects the external pump beam light source to the at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices.

22. The at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices claimed in claim 20, wherein the connector has an optical refractive index matching medium with adhesive properties.

23. The at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices claimed in claim 20, wherein the connector fixedly connects the external pump beam light source to the at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices while providing a chamber for containing the optical refractive index matching medium.

25. The at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices claimed in claim 11, wherein the positioner includes a spectral modifying medium.

27. The at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices claimed in claim 17, wherein the optical element for directing light includes a light gathering mechanism.

34. The at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices according to claim 15, wherein the at least one sensor is a photo-multiplier tube.

35. The at least two vertical organic laser cavity devices according to claim 15, wherein the at least one sensor is an inorganic semi-conductor photo-voltaic sensor.

36. The at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices according to claim 15, wherein the at least one sensor is an organic semi-conductor photo-voltaic sensor.

37. The at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices according to claim 15, wherein the at least one sensor is an inorganic based photo-current sensor.

38. The at least two vertical cavity organic laser devices according to claim 15, wherein the at least one sensor is an organic based photo-current sensor.