EP3391480A1 - Dispositif à laser pourvu d'un résonateur optique et procédé de réglage du dispositif laser - Google Patents

Dispositif à laser pourvu d'un résonateur optique et procédé de réglage du dispositif laser

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Publication number
EP3391480A1
EP3391480A1 EP16809007.4A EP16809007A EP3391480A1 EP 3391480 A1 EP3391480 A1 EP 3391480A1 EP 16809007 A EP16809007 A EP 16809007A EP 3391480 A1 EP3391480 A1 EP 3391480A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
optical
resonator
optical resonator
reflection element
laser device
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP16809007.4A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Sina Scholz-Riecke
Nicolas Kugler
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Rofin Sinar Laser GmbH
Original Assignee
Rofin Sinar Laser GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Rofin Sinar Laser GmbH filed Critical Rofin Sinar Laser GmbH
Publication of EP3391480A1 publication Critical patent/EP3391480A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
    • H01S3/00—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range
    • H01S3/05—Construction or shape of optical resonators; Accommodation of active medium therein; Shape of active medium
    • H01S3/06—Construction or shape of active medium
    • H01S3/0602—Crystal lasers or glass lasers
    • H01S3/0615—Shape of end-face
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
    • H01S3/00—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range
    • H01S3/05—Construction or shape of optical resonators; Accommodation of active medium therein; Shape of active medium
    • H01S3/06—Construction or shape of active medium
    • H01S3/0602—Crystal lasers or glass lasers
    • H01S3/0617—Crystal lasers or glass lasers having a varying composition or cross-section in a specific direction
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
    • H01S3/00—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range
    • H01S3/05—Construction or shape of optical resonators; Accommodation of active medium therein; Shape of active medium
    • H01S3/06—Construction or shape of active medium
    • H01S3/0627—Construction or shape of active medium the resonator being monolithic, e.g. microlaser
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
    • H01S3/00—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range
    • H01S3/05—Construction or shape of optical resonators; Accommodation of active medium therein; Shape of active medium
    • H01S3/08—Construction or shape of optical resonators or components thereof
    • H01S3/08018—Mode suppression
    • H01S3/08022—Longitudinal modes
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
    • H01S3/00—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range
    • H01S3/05—Construction or shape of optical resonators; Accommodation of active medium therein; Shape of active medium
    • H01S3/08—Construction or shape of optical resonators or components thereof
    • H01S3/08059—Constructional details of the reflector, e.g. shape
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
    • H01S3/00—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range
    • H01S3/05—Construction or shape of optical resonators; Accommodation of active medium therein; Shape of active medium
    • H01S3/08—Construction or shape of optical resonators or components thereof
    • H01S3/081—Construction or shape of optical resonators or components thereof comprising three or more reflectors
    • H01S3/0813—Configuration of resonator
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
    • H01S3/00—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range
    • H01S3/05—Construction or shape of optical resonators; Accommodation of active medium therein; Shape of active medium
    • H01S3/08—Construction or shape of optical resonators or components thereof
    • H01S3/086—One or more reflectors having variable properties or positions for initial adjustment of the resonator
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
    • H01S3/00—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range
    • H01S3/10—Controlling the intensity, frequency, phase, polarisation or direction of the emitted radiation, e.g. switching, gating, modulating or demodulating
    • H01S3/102—Controlling the intensity, frequency, phase, polarisation or direction of the emitted radiation, e.g. switching, gating, modulating or demodulating by controlling the active medium, e.g. by controlling the processes or apparatus for excitation
    • H01S3/1022—Controlling the intensity, frequency, phase, polarisation or direction of the emitted radiation, e.g. switching, gating, modulating or demodulating by controlling the active medium, e.g. by controlling the processes or apparatus for excitation by controlling the optical pumping
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
    • H01S3/00—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range
    • H01S3/10—Controlling the intensity, frequency, phase, polarisation or direction of the emitted radiation, e.g. switching, gating, modulating or demodulating
    • H01S3/11—Mode locking; Q-switching; Other giant-pulse techniques, e.g. cavity dumping
    • H01S3/1123—Q-switching
    • H01S3/113—Q-switching using intracavity saturable absorbers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
    • H01S3/00—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range
    • H01S3/05—Construction or shape of optical resonators; Accommodation of active medium therein; Shape of active medium
    • H01S3/06—Construction or shape of active medium
    • H01S3/0602—Crystal lasers or glass lasers
    • H01S3/0606—Crystal lasers or glass lasers with polygonal cross-section, e.g. slab, prism
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
    • H01S3/00—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range
    • H01S3/05—Construction or shape of optical resonators; Accommodation of active medium therein; Shape of active medium
    • H01S3/06—Construction or shape of active medium
    • H01S3/0602—Crystal lasers or glass lasers
    • H01S3/0612—Non-homogeneous structure
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01S—DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
    • H01S3/00—Lasers, i.e. devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in the infrared, visible or ultraviolet wave range
    • H01S3/09—Processes or apparatus for excitation, e.g. pumping
    • H01S3/091—Processes or apparatus for excitation, e.g. pumping using optical pumping
    • H01S3/094—Processes or apparatus for excitation, e.g. pumping using optical pumping by coherent light
    • H01S3/094038—End pumping

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a laser device, in particular a microchip solid state laser comprising an optical resonator with an optically active medium, which is arranged between a first and a second reflection element, which are spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction.
  • An optical resonator length is defined by a distance of the first reflection element from the second reflection element in the longitudinal direction and a longitudinal extension of the medium arranged therebetween and its refractive index.
  • Optical resonators for generating laser radiation are well known from the prior art in different designs.
  • various technical implementations are common, which have in common that an optical resonance space between two reflection elements is limited.
  • at least one optically active medium is arranged, which is optically pumped to produce a population inversion.
  • An air gap may be arranged between the optical medium serving as the amplifier, which is typically a doped solid, and the reflection elements, which may be designed in particular as dielectric mirrors.
  • the reflective element is applied directly as a dielectric coating on the optical medium.
  • optical cavity length is defined by the effective length of the optical path traveled per cycle in the optical cavity.
  • the optical resonator length is therefore the distance of the two resonance elements limiting the reflection elements and the expansion of the Circulation of transmitted optically active media and their refractive indices determined.
  • the optical cavity length determines the spectral mode spacing of the longitudinal modes for which the resonance condition is satisfied. The spectral location of these longitudinal modes within the gain bandwidth essentially determines the degree of amplification.
  • the optical resonator length is so short that the spectral mode spacing corresponds approximately to the spectral bandwidth of the gain spectrum. Operation with essentially only one swinging longitudinal mode can be achieved without the use of spectrally selective elements if the wavelength of a dominant resonator mode with good accuracy corresponds to the wavelength of the gain maximum of the gain spectrum.
  • two resonator modes can oscillate if the gain maximum lies in the middle between the two modes and the two modes thus experience a similarly high gain.
  • a 1060 nm microchip laser with Nd: YVO can be considered as an optically active medium.
  • the mode spacing is 570 pm, comparable to the gain bandwidth of Nd: YVO, which is approximately 1 nm.
  • this precise adjustment of the optical resonator length is achieved either via a piezoelectric element, or via the thermal expansion of a mechanical holder.
  • both options have the disadvantage that the long-term stability of the structure is not always ensured. can be made, and external influences such. B. the air temperature can easily influence the mode wavelength.
  • Electro-optically adjustable microchip solid-state lasers are known, for example, from J. J. Zayhowski, Optical Materials, 11, 1999, pp. 255-267.
  • a passively Q-switched microchip solid-state laser with a pulse length below 1 ns is known in which the amplifier medium, also called laser medium or crystal, and the saturable absorber are sections of the same crystal or are otherwise inseparably connected to each other.
  • WO 2014/051847 A1 describes a monolithic microchip solid-state laser with built-in solid state etalon for the selection of the mode wavelength.
  • the etalon may be implemented as an undoped portion of the laser crystal.
  • the interface between etalon and laser crystal has a non-zero reflectivity for the signal light.
  • No. 8964800 B2 describes another microchip solid-state laser with plane-parallel resonator mirrors. Between laser crystal and saturable absorber, a coating with high reflectivity for the pump light is provided. The mode wavelength is in one embodiment on the heating of the laser crystal and possibly. of the saturable absorber set. The saturable absorber is separated from the laser crystal by an air gap.
  • a laser device has a device for coupling the pump laser beam into an optical resonator, wherein the coupled
  • the optical resonator for the laser device in particular for a microchip solid-state laser, comprises an optically active medium, which is arranged between a first and a second reflection element.
  • the two reflection elements are spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction.
  • An optical resonator length of the optical resonator is predetermined by a distance of the first reflection element from the second reflection element in the longitudinal direction and a longitudinal extent of the medium arranged therebetween and its refractive index.
  • the optical resonator length varies in at least one lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.
  • the device and the optical resonator are adjustable relative to each other in such a way that the position of the pumped-in laser beam coupled in is variable at least with respect to the lateral direction running perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.
  • the core of the invention is thus to form an optical resonator such that its optical resonator length varies slightly in the lateral direction.
  • An adjustment of the mode wavelength can be effected by selectively selecting a region of the optical resonator which defines a resonator length suitable for mode amplification.
  • the pumping light or laser light provided by a pumping light source or laser source be coupled in substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction.
  • the wavelength to which the resonance condition applies is determined by the optical resonator length.
  • the optical resonator length is defined in the present specification by the effective length of the optical Way, which is traveled per revolution in the optical resonator.
  • the distance of the two reflection elements is relevant.
  • the longitudinal extent of the optical media transmitted per revolution and their refractive indices, in particular of the optically active media must also be taken into account.
  • These may include, for example, an optical amplifier medium, in particular an at least partially doped laser crystal or a saturable absorber.
  • the resonators considered here are at least approximately stable.
  • the effective optical path length defining the resonator length varies only slightly in the lateral direction.
  • optical resonator allows a particularly precise adjustment of the resonator modes to be amplified while maintaining high thermal stability.
  • the device for coupling the pump laser beam is used in the adjustment to specify in particular the lateral position of the coupled pump laser beam with respect to the optical resonator. Since the optical resonator has partial regions with different resonator lengths, which can be activated in a targeted manner by displacing the coupled-pump laser beam in the lateral direction, this makes possible a particularly precise and robust possibility of adjustment.
  • the resonator length varies only slightly in the lateral direction, that is to say that the relative displacement of the pump laser beam and optical resonator in the lateral direction is typically orders of magnitude greater than the path length difference to be set for the optical resonator length, which is only a few with microchip solid-state lasers Nanometers lies. This allows a particularly accurate specification of the desired resonator length.
  • a resonator length varying in the lateral direction is by a slight tilting of the reflection elements, in particular the resonator mirrors.
  • the tilting of the reflection elements or the resonator mirror is to be chosen so small that the laser mode and the At least partially overlap pump volume, so that the laser mode can experience a gain.
  • the overlap between laser mode and pump volume is preferably 30% or more.
  • the pumping volume is essentially defined by the spatial extent of a pumping laser beam coupled into the resonator.
  • the small change in length of the resonator length in the direction of propagation required for adjustment can be translated into a larger change transversely, ie laterally thereto. If, for example, the tilting is 0.5 mrad, a change in the resonator length of 47 nm corresponds to a lateral displacement of approximately 94 pm. This larger displacement transversely to the beam direction can be much easier to adjust and permanently stabilize than an immediate adjustment of the resonator in propagation or beam direction, which must be accurate to a few nanometers in this case.
  • the tilting of the resonator mirrors with respect to each other is for example 0, 1 to 5 mrad, preferably 0, 1 to 1 mrad, particularly preferably 0.2 to 0.5 mrad.
  • the entire optical resonator can be moved opposite a stationary pump laser beam or the pump laser beam can be displaced against a stationary optical resonator.
  • the slight lateral variation of the resonator length is realized by the optical media disposed in the resonator.
  • the extent of the optical media in the propagation direction is different for different lateral positions, so that the optical path traveled by the pumping laser beam d varies slightly.
  • An adjustment can also be made here in a particularly advantageous manner so that the lateral position of the pump laser beam is changed until the desired resonator mode or the desired resonator modes are amplified.
  • the first and the second reflection element are preferably designed as a mirror, whose essentially mirror-shaped mirror surfaces are aligned differently tilted from a planparal lelen Anord nu ng to each other.
  • the first and the second reflection element are arranged at such a small angle to one another that a resonator that is at least approximately stable is formed.
  • This embodiment thus essentially relates to a Fabry-Perot resonator, since the deviation from the plane-parallel alignment is so small that no relevant impairment of the stability criteria takes place.
  • the first and / or second reflection element have at least sections of a configuration for forming a stable resonator.
  • a slight curvature causes a change in the diameter of a mode volume defined by the laser mode rotating in the resonator.
  • the Krü mmung of the reflection element or the reflection elements is preferably selected such that the diameter of the mode volume is optimally adapted to the Du rchmesser the Pumpvolu mens.
  • the optical medium comprises a laser crystal, whose substantially planar side surfaces facing the first and the second reflection element extend in an arrangement deviating from a plane-parallel arrangement.
  • the variation of the resonator length is not predetermined by the arrangement of the reflection elements, but by the longitudinal extent of the area of the laser crystal transmitted during the circulation.
  • the laser crystal is substantially wedge-shaped, so that depending on the lateral position of the pump laser beam, a different length of optical path has to be covered.
  • optical medium firmly to the first and / or the second reflection element.
  • the optical medium is fixed, in particular insoluble by means of diffusion bonding, spin-on glass or other joining techniques known per se connected to one of the reflection elements in order to reduce the number of degrees of freedom to be calibrated.
  • air gaps within the resonator are at least partially avoided, which can cause stability problems due to the operationally occurring thermal expansion.
  • the first or second reflection element is a saturable absorber.
  • the saturable absorber acts as a passive switching element, in particular as a highly reflective rear mirror or as a passive decoupling element, which changes its transmission behavior for the laser radiation amplified in the resonator abruptly when the energy density within the resonator exceeds a predefinable threshold.
  • the optical resonator is thus designed as a passively switched laser resonator in order to generate laser pulses with high intensity and short pulse durations.
  • the above object is achieved by a method for adjusting a laser device with the further features of claim 8.
  • the pump laser beam is coupled into the optical resonator such that it propagates within the optical resonator substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction.
  • the position of the pump laser beam is changed, at least with respect to the lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, in order to select a region of the optical resonator with a prescribable optical resonator length.
  • the desired resonator length is selected in particular with regard to the resonator modes to be amplified, it is thus intended to selectively activate a subregion of the optical resonator such that the wavelength or wavelengths of one or more predetermined resonator modes lie or lie within the gain spectrum of the optical medium ,
  • FIG. 1 an optical resonator according to a first embodiment of the invention in a schematic sectional view
  • FIG. 2 shows an optical resonator according to a second embodiment
  • FIG. 3 shows an optical resonator according to a third embodiment
  • Fig. 4 shows an optical resonator according to a fourth embodiment
  • Fig. 5 shows an optical resonator according to a fifth embodiment
  • FIG. 6 shows an optical resonator according to a sixth embodiment
  • FIG. an optical resonator according to a seventh embodiment
  • FIG. 1 schematically a laser device with one of the optical resonators shown in Figures 1 to 8 and a device for coupling a pump laser beam;
  • FIG. 1 shows an optical resonator 1 according to a first embodiment.
  • the optical resonator 1 comprises a first reflection element 2 and a second reflection element 3.
  • An optically active medium 4 is arranged between the two reflection elements 2, 3.
  • the optically active medium 4 provided for laser amplification is a laser crystal.
  • the first reflection element 2 is designed as a coupling-out mirror, which is separated by an air gap 8 from the optical medium 4 or from the laser crystal.
  • the optical medium is in turn separated by a further air gap 9 from the second reflection element 3, which is designed as a rear mirror.
  • the laser crystal acting as the optical medium 4 has two end faces 5, 6 arranged plane-parallel to each other.
  • the output as output mirror guided first reflection element 2 and designed as a rear mirror second reflection element 3 are arranged tilted to each other and thus are at an acute angle to each other.
  • the further air gap 9 extending between the second reflection element 3 and the end face 6 of the optical medium 4 is wedge-shaped.
  • the air gap 8 between the optical medium 4 and the second reflection element 3 designed as a rear mirror is wedge-shaped or both air gaps 8, 9 are wedge-shaped.
  • the optical medium 4 embodied as a laser crystal can be coated in order to achieve a defined reflectivity for the signal and / or pump light.
  • either the first or the second reflection element 2, 3 has a high transmission for the wavelength of the pump light or the pump laser beam.
  • either the first or the second reflection element 2, 3 is designed as a saturable absorber.
  • the reflection elements 2, 3 of the embodiment shown in Figure 2 are mirrors with flat mirror surfaces 10, 11, which are tilted to each other.
  • the mirror surfaces 10, 11 have a slight curvature in order to adapt the mode volume claimed by the laser mode circulating in the optical resonator to the pumping volume defined by the pump laser beam. It is understood that the schematic representation shown in FIGS. 1 to 14, in particular of the optical resonator 1, is not true to scale.
  • the tilting of the reflection elements 2, 3 relative to one another or the wedge-shaped formation of the optically active medium 4 and / or the air gaps 8, 9 between them is shown greatly oversubscribed in order to vary the resonator length for different positions of the pump laser beam with respect to one another lateral direction L to illustrate.
  • the resonator length transmitted by the pump laser beam per revolution varies only slightly.
  • the pumping laser beam propagates within the optical resonator 1 essentially in the longitudinal direction P.
  • the tilting of the two reflection elements 2, 3 has no noticeable influence on the stability of the formed optical resonator 1.
  • FIGS. 2 to 10 show further exemplary embodiments of the optical resonator 1. These exemplary embodiments differ essentially in the specific arrangement of the reflection elements 2, 3 relative to one another or in the specific geometric design of the optically active medium 4, ie. H. of the laser crystal.
  • the optical medium 4 is wedge-shaped according to various embodiments, d. H. the two end faces 5, 6 of the optical medium 4 do not run plane-parallel to each other, but at an angle to each other.
  • Such embodiments also define a varying resonator length for different lateral positions.
  • FIG. 2 shows an optical resonator 1 according to a second embodiment.
  • the first reflection element 2 designed as output mirror is separated from the optically active medium 4 by the air gap 8.
  • the optically active medium 4 is in turn separated by the air gap 9 from the second reflection element 3, which is designed as a rear-side mirror.
  • the optically active medium 4 is a wedge-shaped laser crystal.
  • the mirror surface 10 of the first reflection element 2 or the Auskoppelwigs extends plane-parallel with respect to the opposite end face 5 of the optical medium 4th
  • the second reflecting element 3 embodied as a rear mirror is plane-parallel to the opposite end face 6 of the optical medium 4.
  • the end face 6, as illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 3 may be arranged at an angle relative to the second reflecting element 3.
  • Outcoupling mirror and rear mirror can be plane-parallel to each other ( Figure 3), or, as illustrated in Figure 2, form an angle to each other.
  • the first reflection element 2, which is designed as a coupling-out mirror is inseparably connected to the optical medium 4.
  • the inseparable connection between the optical medium 4 and the first reflection element 2 can be realized, for example, by a dielectric coating on the optical medium 4 designed as a laser crystal, or by bonding or gluing a coupling-out mirror onto the laser crystal.
  • the optical medium 4 or the laser crystal is separated by the air gap 9 from the second reflection element 3, which serves as a back mirror.
  • the laser crystal is plane-parallel in this case, the air gap 9 is wedge-shaped.
  • the side of the optically active medium 4 opposite the first reflection element 2 can be coated in order to achieve a defined reflectivity for the signal and / or pump light.
  • the first reflection element 2 is inseparably connected to the optical medium 4.
  • the second reflection element 3 or its plane mirror surface 11 extends parallel to the opposite end surface 6 of the optical medium 4.
  • the mirror surface 11 of the second reflection element 3 extends with respect to the end face 6 of the optical element Medium 4 at an acute angle.
  • the optical medium 4 is wedge-shaped whose end faces extend at an angle to one another.
  • the first reflection element 2 serving as a coupling-out mirror is separated from the optical medium 4 by an air gap 8.
  • the optical medium 4 is plane-parallel, the air gap 8 is wedge-shaped.
  • the second reflection element 3 designed as a rear-view mirror is inseparably connected to the optical medium 4. This can be z. B. by a dielectric coating on the laser be realized crystal, or by bonding or gluing the rear mirror on the laser crystal.
  • the free end face 5 of the laser crystal can be coated in order to achieve a defined reflectivity for the signal and / or pump light.
  • the first reflection element 2 designed as a coupling-out mirror is separated from the optical medium 4 by the air gap 8.
  • Dasa optical medium 4 is wedge-shaped, the air gap is, as shown in Figure 8, plane-parallel or alternatively, as shown in Figure 9, wedge-shaped.
  • the second reflecting element 3, which is designed as a rear-side mirror, is inseparably connected to the optical medium 4 in the eighth or ninth embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 9, respectively.
  • the free end face 5 of the laser crystal can be coated in order to achieve a defined reflectivity for the signal and / or pump light.
  • Either the decoupling or the rear mirror is designed such that it has a high transmission for the pump light.
  • Either the decoupling or the rear mirror can be designed as a saturable absorber.
  • the resonator mirrors are preferably planar, but may also have a curvature that is so small that a stable resonator 1 is formed.
  • the first reflection element 2 serving as a coupling-out mirror and the second reflection element 3 serving as a backside mirror are connected inseparably to the optical medium 4 designed as a laser crystal.
  • the first and second reflection elements 2, 3 are realized by dielectric coating on the optical medium 4.
  • the laser crystal functioning as the optical medium 4 has a wedge-shaped shape.
  • the first and second reflection elements 2, 3 are connected to the optical medium 4 by bonding or gluing.
  • the optical resonator 1 contains in a further development of the invention additional discrete optical elements, such as active Q-switches or saturable absorbers 12. Such a modification of the optical resonator 1 is provided independently of its concrete design, in particular all of the geometries shown in Figures 1 to 10 are possible ,
  • the reflection elements 2, 3 can be implemented as saturable absorbers in any of the examples shown.
  • FIGS 11 and 12 illustrate schematically the eleventh and twelfth embodiments of the invention.
  • the optical medium 4 is a doped laser crystal which has a plurality of sections 4a, 4b which differ with respect to the nature of their doping and / or their doping concentration.
  • the first section 4a serves as an amplifier medium which generates the optical gain.
  • the second section 4b is a saturable absorber 12. Both sections 4a, 4b are inextricably linked.
  • one of the two sections 4a, 4b is undoped.
  • the first portion 4a and the second portion 4b are doped with doping atoms or ions of the same chemical element or, in an alternative embodiment, with doping atoms or ions of different chemical elements.
  • the optical medium 4 has in a possible, unspecified exemplary embodiment additionally an undoped portion, which serves to improve the heat dissipation from the laser-active first section 4a. Coatings may additionally be applied between the different crystal sections in order to achieve a defined reflectivity for the signal and / or pump light.
  • the sections 4a, 4b may be cuboid or wedge-shaped.
  • the laser-active first section 4a as shown in FIG. 11, can have two plane-parallel opposite end faces and the saturable absorber 12 can be wedge-shaped.
  • FIGS. 13 and 14 schematically illustrate a laser device 20 having one of the optical resonators 1 described above.
  • the concrete exemplary embodiment of FIG. 10 is shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, it being understood that all the other optical resonators 1 described above can be used in an analogous manner in the laser device 20.
  • the laser device 20 has the optical resonator 1, which defines an optical resonator length, which varies as a function of the lateral positioning of a coupled-pump laser beam S.
  • the pump laser beam S can be coupled into the optical resonator 1 by means of the device 21, wherein the positioning of the pump laser beam S can be predetermined in particular with regard to the lateral direction L.
  • the device 21 and the optical resonator 1 relative to each other are adjustable so that the area transmitted by the pumping laser beam S in circulation in the resonant space can be selected specifically.
  • the relative positioning of the device 21 and the optical resonator 1 thus determines the effective resonator length and thus the spectral mode spacing of the resonator modes to be amplified.
  • the laser device 20 is adjusted by displacing the optical resonator 1 in the lateral direction L with respect to a stationary device 21, which provides the pump laser beam S. This is indicated in Figure 13 by the double arrow 22.
  • the laser device 20 is adjusted by adjusting the device 21 with respect to the stationary optical resonator 1. Again, a range of the optical resonator 1 is selected, which is a suitable Resonator length by the positioning of the pumping laser beam S with respect to the lateral direction L is set.
  • the invention has been described above with reference to preferredjarsbeispie- le. It is understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment of the exemplary embodiments shown, but rather the person skilled in the art can derive variations from the description without departing from the essential basic idea of the invention.
  • at least one of the two reflection elements 2, 3 can be embodied as a saturable absorber 12.
  • Any free end faces 5, 6 of the optical medium 4 may be provided with coatings in order to suitably adjust the reflectivity for the pumping and / or the signal light for the laser amplification.
  • the schematically illustrated resonators 1 may have a slight curvature, so that they correspond to the stability criteria.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
  • Lasers (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un résonateur optique (1) pour un dispositif à laser (20), en particulier pour un laser à corps solide à micropuce, comprenant un milieu optique (4) qui est disposé entre un premier et un second élément réfléchissant (2, 3) qui sont écartés l'un de l'autre dans une direction longitudinale (P). Une longueur du résonateur optique est prédéfinie par une distance du premier élément réfléchissant (2) au second élément réfléchissant (3) dans la direction longitudinale (P) et par une dimension longitudinale du milieu (4) disposé entre lesdits éléments et par son indice de réfraction. Selon l'invention, la longueur du résonateur optique varie dans au moins une direction latérale (L) qui est perpendiculaire à la direction longitudinale (P). La présente invention a trait en outre à un dispositif à laser (20) pourvu d'un résonateur (1) de ce type et à un procédé de réglage du dispositif à laser (20).
EP16809007.4A 2015-12-18 2016-12-07 Dispositif à laser pourvu d'un résonateur optique et procédé de réglage du dispositif laser Withdrawn EP3391480A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE102015122249 2015-12-18
DE102016106742.3A DE102016106742B3 (de) 2015-12-18 2016-04-12 Laservorrichtung mit einem optischen Resonator und Verfahren zum Justieren der Laservorrichtung
PCT/EP2016/080151 WO2017102520A1 (fr) 2015-12-18 2016-12-07 Dispositif à laser pourvu d'un résonateur optique et procédé de réglage du dispositif laser

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EP3391480A1 true EP3391480A1 (fr) 2018-10-24

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US (1) US20190006811A1 (fr)
EP (1) EP3391480A1 (fr)
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US5121405A (en) * 1990-12-20 1992-06-09 Coherent, Inc. Alignment control system for lasers
US5394413A (en) 1994-02-08 1995-02-28 Massachusetts Institute Of Technology Passively Q-switched picosecond microlaser
US5610934A (en) * 1995-10-13 1997-03-11 Polaroid Corporation Miniaturized intracavity frequency-doubled blue laser
US7576909B2 (en) * 1998-07-16 2009-08-18 Imra America, Inc. Multimode amplifier for amplifying single mode light
DE10065529A1 (de) * 2000-12-28 2002-07-04 Bosch Gmbh Robert Laserstrahlquelle
JP2004128139A (ja) * 2002-10-01 2004-04-22 Sony Corp レーザ光発生装置及びその製造方法
CN101272030A (zh) * 2008-05-08 2008-09-24 福州高意通讯有限公司 一种可调谐微片式激光器
DE102010050860A1 (de) * 2010-03-31 2011-10-06 Innolight Innovative Laser Und Systemstechnik Gmbh Mikrokristall-Laser zur Erzeugung von Laserpulsen
US9515448B2 (en) 2012-09-26 2016-12-06 Raytheon Company Microchip laser with single solid etalon and interfacial coating

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WO2017102520A1 (fr) 2017-06-22
DE102016106742B3 (de) 2017-01-19

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