Laser light source device and laser irradiation apparatus using the same

• US 8,331,415 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2009
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kimura, Kaoru, Oka, Michio
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Kinam
• Application Number:
  US12/490,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20100002731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 372/71, 372/75, 372/41, 372/10, 372/22, 372/21
• US Class Current: 372/71
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/268 using electromagnetic radiation, e.g. laser radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2301/20 Lasers with a special output beam profile or cross-section, e.g. non-Gaussian
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/08059 Constructional details of the reflector, e.g. shape mirrors in general G02B5/08; mountings for mirrors G02B7/18
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/08086 Multiple-wavelength emission
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0815 having 3 reflectors, e.g. V-shaped resonators
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/082 defining a plurality of resonators, e.g. for mode selection or suppression
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/094069 Multi-mode pumping
• 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 3/109 Frequency multiplication, e.g. harmonic generation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/113 using intracavity saturable absorbers

Abstract

A laser light source device includes a pump light source which emits transverse-multimode light; a plurality of resonator mirrors which define a resonator, at least part of the resonator mirrors outputting light to the outside, where the output light having plural wavelengths; a laser medium arranged in the resonator, the laser medium being pumped with the transverse-multimode light emitted from the pump light source; and a wavelength conversion element arranged in the resonator, the wavelength conversion element being irradiated with a transverse-multimode line beam of fundamental wave obtained by oscillation at the laser medium and outputting a line beam of converted wave.

Claims

1. A laser light source device comprising:

a pump light source which emits transverse-multimode light;

a plurality of resonator mirrors which define a resonator, at least part of the resonator mirrors outputting light, the output light having plural wavelengths;

a laser medium arranged in the resonator, the laser medium being pumped with the transverse-multimode light emitted from the pump light source; and

a wavelength conversion element arranged in the resonator, the wavelength conversion element being irradiated with a transverse-multimode line beam of fundamental wave obtained by oscillation at the laser medium and outputting a line beam of converted wave and further wherein the fundamental wave and the converted wave are simultaneously output and light having wavelengths different from the fundamental wave and the converted wave and/or second harmonic or third harmonic such that spatial intensity modulation is substantially eliminated, and further wherein output light is transverse-multimode light with low coherency and wherein one of the resonator mirrors has a reduced reflectance so that a transmittance is in a range of from 0.5% to 1% for the fundamental wave which is output for annealing.

2. The laser light source device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reflecting portion for bending provided in the resonator,

wherein one of the resonator mirrors or the reflecting portion transmits part of the fundamental wave.

3. The laser light source device according to claim 1, wherein the fundamental wave and the converted wave are output in the same direction.

4. The laser light source device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an external reflecting portion provided outside the resonator,

wherein two converted waves are emitted from the wavelength conversion element to both sides along a resonance optical path,

wherein one of the two emitted converted waves is extracted to the outside of the resonator, and is returned to the wavelength conversion element by the external reflecting portion, and

wherein the one converted wave returned by the external reflecting portion is output to the outside together with the other converted wave generated by the wavelength conversion element and the fundamental wave.

5. The laser light source device according to claim 1, wherein the wavelength conversion element uses quasi phase matching.

6. The laser light source device according to claim 1, wherein the laser light source device uses continuous wave oscillation.

7. The laser light source device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pulse generating mechanism which oscillates output light by pulse oscillation.

8. The laser light source device according to claim 7, wherein, as the pulse generating mechanism, a Q switch element exhibiting a Q switch effect, or a saturable absorber is provided in the resonator.

9. The laser light source device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a wavelength conversion element in the resonator defined by resonance optical path of the resonator mirrors, the wavelength conversion element outputting a wavelength-converted wave by irradiating the wavelength conversion element with the line beam of fundamental wave and the line beam of converted wave.

10. The laser light source device according to claim 9, wherein the wavelength conversion element irradiated with the line beam of fundamental wave and the line beam of converted wave outputs a wavelength-converted wave of sum frequency generation.