Electron-beam excitation laser

• US 7,126,975 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2004
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Iwasaki, Tatsuya, Den, Tohru
• Primary Examiner(s): Menefee, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phillip
• Application Number:
  US10/861,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20040218651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 372/2, 372/69, 372 73- 74, 372/92, 372 98- 99, 372/102
• US Class Current: 372/69
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0959 by an electron beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02208 characterised by the shape of the housings
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0222 Gas-filled housings
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/04 Processes or apparatus for excitation, e.g. pumping, e.g. by electron beamsH01S5/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/11 Comprising a photonic bandgap structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/183 having only vertical cavities, e.g. vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers [VCSEL]
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3018 AIIBVI compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/423 having a vertical cavity

Abstract

An electron-beam excitation laser has a laser structure with a light emitter and reflectors on one hand and an electron source on the other hand, wherein at least part of the light emitter or reflectors has a multidimensional photonic crystal structure. An electron-beam excitation laser includes an electron source emitting electrons and a laser structure consisting of a light emitter and reflectors, accelerates electrons from the electron source, and irradiates the electrons to the laser structure to emit a laser beam from the laser structure, wherein the reflectors and/or the light emitter in the laser structure are formed with multidimensional photonic crystals in which dielectrics with different dielectric constants are arrayed in a plurality of directions at periodic intervals, and one of the dielectrics with different dielectric constants may be formed with a light-emitting material.

Claims

1. An electron-beam excitation laser comprising an electron source to emit electrons, a first reflector, a second reflector and a light emitter between said first and second reflectors, wherein at least one of said reflectors has a multidimensional photonic crystal structure, and the multidimensional photonic crystal structure is comprised of a periodic arrangement of first and second dielectrics that are different from each other in dielectric constant, and the second dielectrics consist of a vacuum part.

2. The electron-beam excitation laser according to claim 1, wherein the multidimensional photonic crystal structure is comprised of a two-dimensional periodic arrangement, and said vacuum part is obtained by locating said multidimensional photonic crystal structure in a vacuum.

3. The electron-beam excitation laser according to claim 1, wherein a part of the multidimensional photonic crystal structure has defects to disturb a periodicity in the multidimensional photonic crystal structure.

4. The electron-beam excitation laser according to claim 3, wherein the defects are dielectrics which differ in size from other dielectrics.

5. The electron-beam excitation laser according to claim 1, wherein the multidimensional photonic crystal structure, which is formed by anodizing aluminum, has such an anodized alumina nanohole structure that cylindrical nanoholes are regularly and two-dimensionally arrayed in an alumina layer.

6. The electron-beam excitation laser according to claim 1, wherein said light emitter is formed with a multidimensional photonic crystal in which dielectrics with different dielectric constants are arrayed in a plurality of directions at periodic intervals, and one of the dielectrics with different dielectric constants is fanned with a light-emitting material.

7. The electron-beam excitation laser according to claim 1, wherein said light emitter and reflectors are formed with multidimensional photonic crystals in which dielectrics with different dielectric constants are arrayed in a plurality of directions at periodic intervals, and one of the dielectrics with different dielectric constants in the multidimensional photonic crystal forming said light emitter is formed with a light-emitting material.

8. An electron-beam excitation laser comprising an electron source, and a member being located in a direction of electrons emitted from the electron source and generating a laser beam, said member comprising a first reflector, a light emitter and a second reflector in this order from an end facing the electron source, and at least one of the first reflector, the second reflector and the light emitter have a periodic structure, and the periodic structure is comprised of a periodic arrangement of first and second dielectrics that are different from each other in dielectric constant, and the second dielectrics consist of a vacuum.

9. The electron-beam excitation laser according to claim 8, wherein at least part of the periodic structure includes a defect disturbing periodicity of the periodic structure.

10. The electron-beam excitation laser according to claim 8, wherein said first reflector has the periodic structure.

11. The electron-beam excitation laser according to claim 8, wherein said second reflector has the periodic structure.

12. The electron-beam excitation laser according to claim 8, wherein said light emitter has the periodic structure.

13. The electron-beam excitation laser according to claim 8, wherein both said first reflector and said second reflector have the periodic structure.

14. An apparatus which is comprised of a plurality of electron-beam excitation lasers, each being an electron-beam excitation laser according to claim 8.

15. An electron-beam excitation laser comprising an electron source which emits electrons and a laser structure which is comprised of a light emitter and reflectors located on both sides of the light emitter, wherein the reflector on the side irradiated from the electron source is comprised of a photonic crystal structure in which a first portion having a first dielectric constant and a second portion having a second dielectric constant are periodically arranged, and one of the first and second portions is a vacuum portion.

16. The electron-bean excitation laser according to claim 15, wherein said photonic crystal structure is a two-dimensional photonic crystal structure, which is irradiated with electrons from a direction perpendicular to a direction of periodicity of the crystal structure.

17. The electron-beam excitation laser according to claim 15 or 16, wherein said photonic crystal structure has a defect partly to disturb periodicity in the multidimensional photonic crystal structure.

18. The electron-beam excitation laser according to claim 15 or 16, wherein said photonic crystal structure is an anodized alumina nanohole structure wherein cylindrical nanoholes are regalatly and two-dimensionally arrayed in an anodized alumina layer.

19. The electron-beam excitation laser according to claim 15 or 16, wherein a photonic crystal structure is formed in said light emitter.

20. A multi electron-beam excitation laser comprising a plurality of electron-beam excitation lasers, each being an electron-beam excitation laser according to claim 15, wherein an outputting by a plurality of laser beams can be carried out.

21. An electron-beam excitation laser comprising an electron source, a first reflector, an active layer and a second reflector comprised of a photonic crystal, wherein an electron is emitted from the electron source to the active layer via the second reflector, the second reflector is comprised of dielectrics periodically arranged at specific intervals or dielectrics having holes periodically arranged at specific intervals, and the second reflector is located in a vacuum.