JP2007048979A - Laser oscillating method laser device and laser device array - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a laser oscillating method which raises oscillation efficiency in a laser device, to obtain the laser device for effecting the laser oscillating method, and to obtain a laser device array with a plurality of laser devices arrayed in the shape of an array. <P>SOLUTION: A laser resonator is provided with a laser crystal 27 composed of a core 27A, with an element serving as a laser medium, and a clad 27B having no element serving as the laser medium; and resonator surfaces 27C, 27D arranged so as to pinch the laser crystal. The incidence of exciting light ejected out of an exciting light source 15 of a semiconductor laser or a light emitting diode into the laser resonator through exciting optical systems 17, 18, 23 is effected to excite the laser crystal 27. Further, light having a wavelength which does not contribute to the excitation of the laser crystal 27 among the exciting light is separated from light paths of the exciting optical systems by a spectrum means 21, while the frequency of the separated light is shifted by a device constituted of a dispersion medium having fluctuation in time/space to change the light into light contributing to the excitation of the laser crystal 27, and then the incidence of the light into the laser crystal 27 is effected. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a laser oscillation method / laser device and a laser device array.

  The laser device and laser device array of the present invention can be applied to a light source for an optical printer, a light source for a display, and the like.

Conventionally, a laser resonator having a laser crystal composed of a “core added with an element serving as a laser medium” and a “cladding not including an element serving as a laser medium”, and a resonator surface disposed so as to sandwich the laser crystal. There is known a laser device that emits laser light from the side surface of the laser crystal to excite the laser crystal to cause laser oscillation (Patent Document 1, etc.).
This type of laser device is called a microchip laser because the thickness of the laser crystal is “very thin and small, 1 mm or less”.
In such a laser apparatus, how to increase “oscillation efficiency: B / A”, which is a ratio of “laser oscillation output light intensity from laser crystal: B” to excitation light intensity: A, is a major issue.

  Since the laser medium added to the core has “characteristics for absorbing light in a specific wavelength range”, the “wavelength range of excitation light” should be set so as to cover substantially the same wavelength range as this absorption wavelength range. However, the emission wavelength range of a semiconductor laser or LED used as a light source is wider than the “absorption wavelength range of the laser medium”, and light having a wavelength component outside the absorption wavelength range does not contribute to laser oscillation. Excitation light intensity: A is larger than B. For this reason, it is difficult to increase the oscillation efficiency.

  In this invention, “wavelength shift of light by a device having a scattering medium having temporal and spatial fluctuations” is performed, but “the principle of wavelength shift by a scattering medium having temporal and spatial fluctuations” is Non-patent documents 1 and 2 are known.

Japanese Patent No. 3503588 Shirai, Asakura “Spectral Change Phenomena Accompanying Light Scattering”, Academic Journal: Optics p. 134 March 1995 Shirai “Light Multiple Scattering and Spectral Change by Random Media”, Academic Journal: Optics p. 459 August 1998

  This invention makes it a subject to implement | achieve the realization of the laser oscillation method which raises the oscillation efficiency in the said laser apparatus, and the laser apparatus which implements this laser oscillation method in view of the place mentioned above. Another object of the present invention is to realize a laser device array in which a plurality of the laser devices are arranged in an array.

The laser oscillation method according to the present invention has “a core to which an element to be a laser medium is added, a laser crystal made of a clad not containing an element to be a laser medium, and a resonator surface arranged so as to sandwich the laser crystal. A laser oscillation method in which excitation light emitted from an excitation light source composed of a semiconductor laser or a light-emitting diode is incident on a laser crystal of a laser resonator via an excitation optical system ”, and includes the following points: It is characterized (claim 1).
That is, among the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source, “light having a wavelength that does not contribute to the excitation of the laser crystal” is separated from the optical path of the excitation optical system by the spectroscopic means, and the frequency of the separated light is “temporally and spatially separated”. The light is shifted by “a device composed of a scattering medium having fluctuations” to be “light that contributes to excitation of the laser crystal” and is incident on the laser crystal.

  A laser apparatus according to the present invention is an apparatus for performing the laser oscillation method according to claim 1, wherein the laser resonator, the excitation light source, the first excitation optical system and the second excitation optical system, the spectroscopic means, the frequency, Shift means.

The “laser resonator” has a laser crystal and a resonator surface.
The “laser crystal” is composed of a core and a clad, and “the element that becomes the laser medium” is added to the core, but the clad does not contain the “element that becomes the laser medium”.

  The “resonator surface” is arranged so as to sandwich the laser crystal. The resonator surface can be a reflective film and a reflective transmissive film formed on opposite end faces of the laser crystal.

  The “excitation light source” is a light source that emits excitation light that excites a laser crystal. Specifically, a semiconductor laser or a light emitting diode (LED) is used as the “light emission source”. The semiconductor laser and the light emitting diode can be a so-called “semiconductor laser array” or “light emitting diode array” in which the light emitting portions are arranged in an array.

  The “first excitation optical system” is an optical system that makes excitation light emitted from an excitation light source enter a laser crystal.

  The “spectral means” is means for separating “light having a wavelength component that does not contribute to excitation of the laser crystal” out of the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source from the optical path of the first excitation optical system.

  “Frequency shift means” is a means that shifts the frequency of the light separated by the spectroscopic means to generate light that contributes to the excitation of the laser crystal, and is a device that has a scattering medium with temporal and spatial fluctuations. .

  The “second excitation optical system” is an optical system that makes the light whose frequency is shifted by the frequency shift means enter the laser crystal.

  As the spectroscopic means in the laser device according to claim 2, a spectroscopic prism can be used (claim 3), or "a photonic crystal having a super prism effect" can be used (claim 4). ).

  The "device having a scattering medium having temporal and spatial fluctuations" in the laser apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein "a small sphere is randomly arranged in a liquid, It is configured to cause temporal and spatial fluctuations due to fluctuations, and adjusts the shift amount by controlling heat for causing temporal and spatial fluctuations. (Claim 5) .

  The “laser device array” of the present invention is formed by arranging a plurality of laser devices according to any one of claims 2 to 5 in an array (claim 6). The “two or more of the plurality of laser devices arranged in an array” in the laser device array according to claim 6 is “a peak wavelength of spectral transmittance” of a reflection / transmission surface constituting a resonator surface on a laser light emission side. Can be different (claim 7).

  In this case, the laser devices constituting the array are grouped into two or more, and the laser devices belonging to the same group have “the same spectral reflectance of the reflection / transmission surface constituting the resonator surface on the laser light emission side”, which is different. 9. The laser apparatus belonging to the group may be configured such that the peak wavelengths of the spectral transmittances of the reflection / transmission surfaces constituting the resonator surface on the laser beam emission side are different from each other, or as in the laser apparatus array according to claim 8. (Each of the plurality of laser devices arranged in an array may have different spectral transmittance peak wavelengths of the reflection / transmission surfaces constituting the resonator surface on the laser light emission side) ( Claim 8). It should be noted that “group” in the above grouping includes “including a single laser device”. In both the laser device arrays of claims 7 and 8, the spectral reflectance of the resonator surface on the opposite side of the laser light emission side among the resonator surfaces sandwiching the laser crystal is “with respect to the wavelength of the emitted laser light. 100% ".

  Preferably, the “plurality of laser devices” in the laser device array according to claim 7 or 8 are arrayed on the same substrate (claim 9). Of course, one or more laser devices are provided on separate substrates. A laser device array may be configured by arranging the laser diodes arranged in an array.

  As shown in Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2, “scattering media with fluctuations in time and space (so-called a medium in which the dielectric polarizability describing the response of the medium is a random function related to spatial position and time) When the light is incident on and scattered, the spectrum of the scattered light is generally different from the “spectrum of the incident light”.

  That is, the incident light is subjected to the effects of temporal fluctuation and spatial fluctuation in the process of interaction with the scattering medium. When monochromatic light is incident on a scattering medium having “temporal fluctuations”, the “scattered light spectrum” has a wide distribution due to the relative motion of the minute elements constituting the scattering medium. When this “light having a broad spectrum” interacts with “spatial fluctuations” of the scattering medium, there is a phenomenon that the “peak wavelength of the spectrum” shifts. In the present invention, this phenomenon is used for the frequency shift means.

  In the laser oscillation method of the present invention, among the excitation light incident on the laser crystal, “light having a wavelength that does not contribute to excitation of the laser crystal” is separated from the optical path of the excitation optical system by the spectroscopic means, and the frequency of the separated light is determined. Since it shifts and enters the laser crystal as “light that contributes to the excitation of the laser crystal”, the “component that contributes to the excitation of the laser crystal” in the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source increases, and the oscillation efficiency of the laser crystal is increased. Can be improved. Therefore, in a laser apparatus that implements this method and a laser apparatus array in which the laser apparatus is arrayed, the oscillation efficiency of the laser apparatus is good, and the intensity of the oscillation laser light can be effectively increased.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to specific examples.

A first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 1A is a top view of the laser device according to the first embodiment. Reference numeral 10 is a laser device, reference numeral 11 is a base substrate, reference numeral 13 is a submount, reference numeral 15 is a semiconductor laser array, reference numerals 17 and 19 are lenses constituting a collimating lens, reference numeral 21 is a spectroscopic prism, reference numeral 23 is a condensing lens, Reference numeral 25 denotes a submount, reference numeral 27 denotes a laser crystal, reference numeral 29 denotes frequency shift means, and reference numeral 31 denotes a reflecting mirror.

  The semiconductor laser array 15 is an “excitation light source” and is provided on a submount 13 provided on the base substrate 11. The semiconductor laser array 15 includes 19 semiconductor laser light emitting units having a center wavelength of 808 nm arranged in a line in the vertical direction of FIG. These 19 semiconductor laser light emitting units are collectively driven, and each of them emits divergent laser light as excitation light.

  The divergence angle of the emitted laser light is large in the direction orthogonal to the drawing in FIG. The laser light emitted from each semiconductor laser light emitting unit enters the lens 17. The lens 17 is a cylinder lens and is provided on the base substrate 11 and has a positive power only in a direction orthogonal to the drawing of FIG. 1A. In this direction, the incident laser light is converted into a parallel beam.

  The lens 19 is a cylinder lens array in which a plurality of cylinder lenses having a generatrix direction in a direction perpendicular to the drawing of FIG. For each cylinder lens, the transmitted light beam is converted into a parallel light beam in the vertical direction of FIG.

  In this way, the laser light that is converted into a parallel beam for each cylinder lens array is emitted from the lens 19. As described above, since the divergence angle of the laser light emitted from each semiconductor laser light emitting unit is large in the direction orthogonal to the drawing of FIG. 1A, the lens 17 is a “cylinder lens with a short focal length”. Since the divergence angle of each laser beam is small in the vertical direction of 1 (a), the cylinder lens arrayed in the lens 19 has a long focal length. Then, the focal lengths of the lenses 17 and 19 are adjusted so that the cross section of the light beam of the excitation light converted into a parallel light beam by each cylinder lens of the cylinder lens array of the lens 19 becomes “substantially circular”.

  The “excitation light” emitted from the lens 19 as a plurality of parallel light beams subsequently enters the spectroscopic prism 21. The spectroscopic prism 21 is provided on the base substrate 11, transmits the excitation light, bends the optical path of the excitation light, and performs spectroscopy according to the frequency distribution.

  In FIG. 1A, the excitation light beam indicated by the symbol LE is a “light beam of a wavelength component (wavelength region near 808 nm) contributing to excitation of the laser crystal” among the light beams whose optical path is bent by the spectral prism 21. This excitation light beam LE enters the condenser lens 23. The condensing lens 23 is provided on the base substrate 11, condenses the incident excitation light beam LE, and irradiates the laser crystal 27 as excitation light.

  The laser crystal 27 includes a core 27A having a rectangular cross section and a clad 27B having a rectangular cross section surrounding the core 27A. The laser crystal 27 is provided on a submount 25 provided on the base substrate 11.

  FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram showing the optical path of the excitation light from the semiconductor laser array 15 to the laser crystal 27.

  When viewed from the direction orthogonal to the surface of the base substrate 11, the laser crystal 27 provided on the submount 25 has a rectangular shape as shown in FIG. The “cladding element” is added, and the clad 27B surrounding the core 27A does not include “the element serving as the laser medium”. The portion of the core 27A is “YAG doped with Nd”. The rectangular shape shown in FIG. 1A is a square shape with a side of 0.5 mm, and the height (height in the vertical direction in FIG. 1B). Is 1 mm.

  The portion of the clad 27B is formed of ceramics YAG. The rectangular shape shown in FIG. 1A is a square shape with a side of 1 mm, and the height (the height in the vertical direction in FIG. 1B) is 1 mm. . Therefore, the entire laser crystal 27 is a cube having one side of 1 mm. The laser crystal 27 has a laser oscillation wavelength of 1064 nm.

  FIG. 1C is a diagram for explaining the structure of the laser resonator. As described above, the laser crystal 27 has a “cube shape with one side of 1 mm”, the resonator surface 27C is formed on the end surface facing the submount 25, and the resonator surface 27D is formed on the opposite end surface. Is formed. The resonator surface 27C is a “reflecting film having a reflectance of 100%”, and the resonator surface 27D is a “reflecting / transmitting film having a reflectance of 97% (corresponding to the above-described reflecting / transmitting surface)”. The vessel surfaces 27C and 27D are formed on the end face of the laser crystal 27 by coating so as to sandwich the laser crystal 27.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, when the excitation light is incident on the core 27A from the side surface of the laser crystal 27, the excitation light having a wavelength of about 808 nm is absorbed by the “element serving as a laser medium” added to the core 27A. This element is excited to a high energy level, and light having a wavelength of 1064 nm is emitted when the excited element returns to the “lower energy level”. This light is reflected between the resonator surfaces 27C and 27D, and causes excitation and stimulated emission of an element serving as a laser medium. In this way, laser oscillation occurs, and part of the laser light passes through the resonator surface 27D and is extracted as laser light L.

  In FIG. 1A, the light indicated by the symbol LO is light separated by the spectral prism 21 and separated from the optical path of the excitation light beam LE. This light LO is a “light that does not contribute to the oscillation of the laser crystal 27” and has a frequency (frequency that is not absorbed by the element serving as the laser medium) different from that of the excitation light beam LE used as the excitation light.

  That is, the light LO is light having a frequency component that does not contribute to the excitation of the laser crystal among the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source 15.

  In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the light LO is incident on the frequency shift means 29. The frequency shift means 29 is a “device having a scattering medium having spatial and temporal fluctuations”. As shown in FIG. 1D, the frequency shift means 29 is placed in a transparent rectangular parallelepiped container 29A. And a frequency shift portion in which a dispersion liquid 29B in which microspheres having different refractive indexes are randomly arranged by dispersion are encapsulated, and heating means 29C for heating the frequency shift portion in an adjustable manner, provided on the base substrate 11 It has been.

The frequency shift amount due to the scattering medium can be obtained from the expression of the scattered light spectrum of Expression (19), Expression (20), and Expression (21) in “Non-Patent Document 2”. Assuming that the correlation interval of the medium is “σ” and the correlation time of the medium is “τ”, the “frequency of the scattering medium” can be calculated from the above equation (19) and equation (21) in Non-Patent Document 2.
{(Σ / c) ² + τ ² } / {(σ / c) ² cos θ + τ ² }} ω ₀
It becomes. Here, “c” is the speed of light, “θ” is the scattering angle, and “ω ₀ ” is the frequency of the incident light.

  When the light LO is incident on the frequency shift portion and the dispersion liquid 29B is heated by the heating means 29C, the microspheres in the dispersion liquid are temporally and spatially fluctuated by heat, and the correlation interval: σ and the correlation time: τ By changing, the light LO is emitted from the frequency shift means 29 as “wavelength shifted light”.

For example, when the frequency of incident light: ω ₀ is 2.33 × 10 ¹⁵ (corresponding to a wavelength of 808 nm) and the scattering angle: θ is 80 degrees, σ = 1.2 × 10 ⁻⁵ m, τ = 5. in 0 × ¹⁰ -13 sec, shifted frequency is "(. corresponding to a wavelength 812nm) 2.32 × ^{10 15" and, σ = 2.4 × 10 -6 m} , τ = 2.5 × 10 - ^{At 12} sec, the shifted frequency is “2.33 × 10 ¹⁵ (corresponding to a wavelength of 808.01 nm)”. That is, the “frequency shift amount” increases as the correlation interval: σ increases and the correlation time: τ decreases.

  Note that the above frequency equation was quantified based on the “single scattered light spectrum” of equation (19) in “Non-patent document 2”, but “multiplexing” of equation (20) in “non-patent document 2”. In the “scattered light spectrum”, the shift amount is larger than that in the single scattered light spectrum. In practice, single scattered light and multiple scattered light cannot be separated, resulting in a summed spectrum.

  As described above, since the wavelength shift amount is determined by the correlation interval: σ and the correlation time: τ, the frequency shift amount can be adjusted by controlling the heating amount by the heating means 29C. By this adjustment, the frequency of the light LO can be adjusted. It can be converted into “light having a frequency that contributes to excitation of the laser crystal”. In this way, “the light converted into light having a frequency that contributes to the excitation of the laser crystal” is reflected by the reflecting mirror 31 and applied to the core 27A of the laser crystal 27 to contribute to the excitation of the laser crystal 27.

  In this manner, the “light LO of the wavelength component that does not contribute to the excitation of the laser crystal” contained in the excitation light emitted from the semiconductor laser array 15 as the excitation light source is separated from the optical path of the excitation light, and the laser crystal The oscillation efficiency can be effectively increased by converting the light into a light having a frequency that contributes to the excitation of the light and irradiating the laser crystal.

  Note that temperature control means (not shown) such as a Peltier element or an air cooling unit is provided at an appropriate portion of the base substrate 11, for example, the back surface side, and temperature control of the semiconductor laser array 15 and the laser crystal 27 is performed. ing.

  In the first embodiment, as described above, the excitation light collimated by the lenses 17 and 19 has parallel light beams arranged parallel to each other in an array. However, an excitation using an array of fly-eye lenses or the like is used. You may combine light as one light beam. The optical system for synthesizing the excitation light is not limited to the above, and a known lens system can be used according to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-98402.

  Further, the light LO dispersed by the spectroscopic prism 21 may be condensed by a lens or the like, or collimated and made incident on the frequency shift means 29, or “the excitation of the laser crystal whose frequency is shifted by the frequency shift means 29. "Contributing light" may be condensed on the core portion of the laser crystal 27 by condensing means such as a lens. As this condensing means, the reflecting mirror 31 may be formed as a concave mirror.

  The laser apparatus according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 has a laser crystal 27 including a core 27A to which an element serving as a laser medium is added and a clad 27B not including the element serving as a laser medium, and the laser crystal sandwiched therebetween. A laser resonator having the arranged resonator surfaces 27C and 27D, an excitation light source 15 made of a semiconductor laser, and first excitation optical systems 17 and 19 for making the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source enter the laser crystal 27; 23, a spectral means 21 that separates the light LO of the wavelength component that does not contribute to the excitation of the laser crystal out of the excitation light from the optical path of the first excitation optical system, and the frequency of the light LO separated by this spectral means is shifted. The frequency shift means 29 for making the light contributing to the excitation of the laser crystal 27 and the light whose frequency is shifted by the frequency shift means are incident on the laser crystal 27. And a second excitation optical system 31, the frequency shifting means 29 is a device having a scattering medium having a spatially and temporally fluctuations (claim 2).

  A spectroscopic prism is used as the spectroscopic means 21 (claim 3). The “device having a scattering medium having temporal and spatial fluctuations” which is the frequency shift means 29 is such that minute spheres are randomly arranged in a liquid, and temporal and spatial fluctuations due to fluctuations of the spheres due to heat. The shift amount is adjusted by controlling the heat for causing the temporal and spatial fluctuations (claim 5).

  A second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In order to avoid complications, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. The description in Example 1 is used for the description about these.

  FIG. 2A is a top view of the laser device according to the second embodiment. Reference numeral 100 denotes a laser device, reference numerals 13 and 25 denote submounts, reference numeral 15 denotes a semiconductor laser array serving as an excitation light source, reference numerals 17 and 19 denote lenses constituting a collimator lens, and reference numerals 211 and 212 denote a “reduction optical system”. Reference numeral 213 denotes a spectroscopic means, reference numeral 23 denotes a condenser lens, reference numerals 29A and 29B denote frequency shift means, reference numerals 31A and 31B denote reflecting mirrors, and reference numeral 270 denotes a laser crystal. These are loaded on the same base substrate 11.

  The semiconductor laser array 15 which is an excitation light source provided on the submount 13 is the same as that used in the first embodiment, and 19 semiconductor laser light emitting sections having a center wavelength of 808 nm are shown in FIG. It is arranged in a line in the vertical direction of a). These 19 semiconductor laser light emitting units are collectively driven to emit divergent laser light from each of them as excitation light.

  The excitation light emitted from the semiconductor laser array 15 is collimated by the collimating lens by the lenses 17 and 19 as in the first embodiment, and then the beam diameter is reduced by the “reducing optical system constituted by the lenses 211 and 212”. The light enters the spectroscopic means 213.

The spectroscopic means 213 is “using a photonic crystal having a super prism effect”. As is well known, the “photonic crystal” has a “two-dimensional periodic structure” made of a material that is transparent to the wavelength used. In the second embodiment, a “fine cylindrical hollow portion” is finely processed as a spatially two-dimensional periodic structure with respect to a TiO ₂ substrate.

This photonic crystal has a function (super prism effect) of transmitting light with a wavelength of 808 nm straight as it is and splitting light with a wavelength difference of 1% by 50 degrees. FIG. 2C is a diagram for explaining the spectroscopic means 213. In this figure, the portion denoted by reference numeral 213A is the above-mentioned “photonic crystal having the action of allowing light of wavelength: 808 nm to pass straight through as it is and spectrally splitting light of wavelength difference: 1% at 50 degrees”. Structures 213B and 213C in which the refractive index gradually changes are provided on the side surface and the exit side surface.
The structures 213B and 213C in which the refractive index gradually changes are “mountain structures in which the refractive index gradually changes with respect to the wavefront of light”.

  When excitation light with a reduced beam diameter is incident on the spectroscopic means 213, the light beam LE0 having a wavelength of about 808 nm and contributing to the excitation of the laser crystal 270 is transmitted almost linearly through the spectroscopic means 213, and is a condensing lens. 23 is incident on the laser crystal 270 while being condensed.

  As shown in FIG. 2E, the laser crystal 270 includes a core 271 and a clad 272. The core 271 is made of “Yd doped with Nd” and has a “cylindrical shape with a diameter of 0.5 mm and a height of 1 mm”. The clad 272 surrounding the core 271 is formed of “ceramics YAG”, and includes a cylindrical shape having a diameter of 1 mm and a height of 1 mm including the core 271.

  Resonator surfaces 273 and 274 are formed on both end faces of the columnar laser crystal 270 as shown in FIG. The resonator surface 273 is a reflective film having a reflectance of 100% with respect to the “laser oscillation wavelength: 1064 nm”, and the resonator surface 274 is a reflective / transmissive film having a reflectance of 97% with respect to the above wavelength. It is formed by coating.

  Since the material of the core 271 and the clad 272 is the same as that of the laser crystal 27 of the first embodiment, when the light beam LE0 is incident from the side surface of the laser crystal 270 and is condensed on the core 271, light in the wavelength region near 808 nm is absorbed. In the same manner as in the first embodiment, laser oscillation is performed, and laser light L having an oscillation wavelength of 1064 nm is emitted from the resonator surface 274.

  On the other hand, light components LO1 and LO2 having a wavelength difference with respect to the wavelength: 808 nm are “wavelength component light components that do not contribute to the excitation of the laser crystal 270” and are spectrally separated by the spectroscopic unit 213, respectively. , 29B.

  The frequency shift means 29A and 29B are the same as the frequency shift means 29 used in the first embodiment. The frequencies of the light beams LO1 and LO2 incident on the frequency shift means 29A and 29B are shifted by the effects of spatial and temporal fluctuations. At this time, by controlling the amount of heating, “frequency-shifted light” is emitted from the frequency shift means 29A and 29B so that the wavelength is in the vicinity of 808 nm.

  In this way, the light emitted from the frequency shift means 29A and 29B is reflected by the reflecting mirrors 31A and 31B as “light that contributes to the excitation of the laser crystal 270”, is irradiated on the laser crystal 270, and becomes “excitation of the laser crystal”. Contribute to effectively improve the oscillation efficiency.

  The frequency shift means 29A, 29B and the reflecting mirrors 31A, 31B in the second embodiment are arranged symmetrically with respect to the common optical axis of the lenses 211, 212 and the condensing lens 23 constituting the reduction optical system.

  In the second embodiment, as described above, the excitation light collimated by the lenses 17 and 19 has parallel light beams arranged in an array, but the excitation light is arranged in an array using an integrator such as a fly-eye lens. May be incident on the reduction optical system, and the optical system for synthesizing the excitation light is not limited to the above, but a known lens system is used according to JP-A-7-98402, etc. You can also

  Further, the light LO1 and LO2 dispersed by the spectroscopic means 213 may be collected by a lens or the like, or collimated and made incident on the frequency shift means 29A and 29B, or the frequency may be shifted by the frequency shift means 29A and 29B. The “light contributing to the excitation of the laser crystal” may be condensed on the core of the laser crystal 270 by a condensing means such as a lens. As this condensing means, the reflecting mirrors 31A and 31B may be formed as concave mirrors.

  As in the case of the first embodiment, temperature control means (not shown) such as a Peltier element or an air cooling unit is provided on an appropriate portion of the base substrate 11, for example, the back surface side, and the temperature of the semiconductor laser array 15 and the laser crystal 27. It comes to perform control.

  The laser device according to the second embodiment includes a laser crystal 270 including a core 271 to which an element serving as a laser medium is added, a clad 272 not including the element serving as a laser medium, and a resonator disposed so as to sandwich the laser crystal. A laser resonator having surfaces 273, 274, an excitation light source 15 made of a semiconductor laser or a light emitting diode, and first excitation optical systems 17, 19, 211, which cause the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source to enter the laser crystal. 212, 23, and the spectral means 213 that separates the light of the wavelength component that does not contribute to the excitation of the laser crystal from the optical path of the first excitation optical system, and the frequency of the light separated by the spectral means is shifted. The frequency shift means 29A and 29B are used as light contributing to the excitation of the laser crystal 270, and the frequency is shifted by the frequency shift means. And a second excitation optical system 31A, 31B for making light incident on the laser crystal 270, and the frequency shift means 29A, 29B is a device having a scattering medium having temporal and spatial fluctuations. .

  Further, the spectroscopic means 213 is “using a photonic crystal 213A having a super prism effect” (Claim 4), and the frequency shift means 29A, which is a device having a scattering medium having temporal and spatial fluctuations, 29B is configured such that minute spheres are randomly arranged in the liquid, and the spheres are fluctuated by heat to cause temporal and spatial fluctuations, and control heat for causing temporal and spatial fluctuations. Thus, the shift amount is adjusted (claim 5).

  According to the laser devices of the first and second embodiments, the laser crystal including the core added with the element serving as the laser medium and the clad not including the element serving as the laser medium is disposed so as to sandwich the laser crystal. In a laser oscillation method in which excitation light emitted from an excitation light source made of a semiconductor laser is incident on a laser crystal of a laser resonator having a cavity surface through an excitation optical system, the laser crystal is excited. Among them, a device composed of a scattering medium that separates light of a wavelength that does not contribute to the oscillation of the laser crystal from the optical path of the excitation optical system by a spectroscopic means, and the frequency of the separated light fluctuates in time and space. A laser oscillation method (claim 1) is performed in which the light is shifted by the above and contributes to the excitation of the laser crystal and is incident on the laser crystal.

A third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
Example 3 is an example of a laser device array, and FIG. 3 is a top view of the laser device array. In the laser device array 300 of the third embodiment, three laser devices 301, 302, and 303 are arrayed on the same base substrate 110.

  Since the individual laser devices are of the same type as described in connection with the second embodiment, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. The description of Example 2 uses the description of Example 2.

  Submounts 13 and 25, semiconductor laser array 15 as an excitation light source, lenses 17 and 19 constituting a collimating lens, lenses 211 and 212 constituting a reduction optical system, spectral means 213, condenser lens 23, frequency shift means 29A, 29B and the reflecting mirrors 31A and 31B are the same as those used in the second embodiment for the laser devices 301, 302, and 303.

  The laser devices 301, 302, and 303 arranged in an array are different from each other in a laser resonator. These different laser resonators are denoted by reference numerals 301A, 302A, and 303A.

  The laser resonators 301A, 302A, and 303A have a cylindrical core with a diameter of 0.5 mm and a height of 1 mm, and a clad with a diameter of 1 mm and a height of 1 mm that surrounds the same as in the second embodiment. And a resonator surface formed as a reflection film / reflection transmission film on both end faces thereof.

Of these laser crystals and resonator surfaces, the laser crystals are “same as those in laser resonators 301A, 302A, 303A”. That is, the laser crystal commonly used for the laser resonators 301A, 302A, and 303A is configured such that the core is “GdVO ₄ doped with Nd” and the cladding is “GdVO ₄ ”.
This laser crystal can absorb “808 nm excitation light” and oscillate “three fundamental wave laser beams having wavelengths of 912 nm, 1063 nm, and 1346 nm”.

  Therefore, the resonator surface on the laser light emission side of the laser resonator 301A is “a reflection / transmission surface having a reflectance of 97% for a wavelength of 912 nm, a reflectance of 100% for a wavelength of 1063 nm and 1346 nm”, and the opposite. The resonator surface on the side is “reflecting surface having a reflectance of 100% with respect to the wavelengths: 912 nm, 1063 nm, and 1346 nm”, and the resonator surface on the laser light emission side of the laser resonator 302A is “reflecting with respect to the wavelength of 1063 nm”. Rate: 97%, wavelengths: 912 nm, 1346 nm reflectivity: 100% reflection / transmission surface ”, and the opposite resonator surface is“ wavelength: 912 nm, 1063 nm, 1346 nm reflectivity: 100% reflection The resonator surface on the laser light emission side of the laser resonator 303A is “reflectance: 97%, wavelength: 1063 nm, 912 with respect to the wavelength of 1346 nm. Reflectivity for m: 100% of the reflection and transmission plane "cavity surface opposite the" Wavelength: to 100% of the reflecting surface ": 912 nm, 1063 nm, the reflectance with respect to 1346Nm.

  In this way, laser light having a wavelength of 912 nm can be extracted from the laser resonator 301A, laser light having a wavelength of 1063 nm can be extracted from the laser resonator 302A, and wavelength of 1346 nm can be extracted from the laser resonator 303A. Can be extracted.

  In each of the laser devices 301, 302, and 303, as in the laser device of the second embodiment, the frequency shift means splits the light of the wavelength component that does not contribute to the excitation of the laser crystal among the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source. The laser crystal is irradiated as light that can be separated by the means and shifted in wavelength by the frequency shift means, and can contribute to the excitation of the laser crystal. Therefore, the oscillation efficiency in each laser device can be effectively increased.

  Temperature control means (not shown) such as a Peltier element or an air cooling unit is provided on an appropriate portion of the base substrate 110, for example, the back surface side, and temperature control of the semiconductor laser array 15 and the laser crystal 27 is performed. .

  The laser device array in FIG. 3 is a laser device array (Claim 6) in which a plurality of laser devices according to any one of Claims 2 to 5 are arranged in an array, and the laser devices are arranged in an array. Two or more of the plurality of laser devices 301, 302, and 303 have different spectral transmittance peak wavelengths (912 nm, 1063 nm, 1346 nm) of the reflection / transmission surface constituting the resonator surface on the laser light emission side (claims). Item 7), each of the plurality of laser devices arranged in an array has a different peak wavelength of spectral transmittance of the reflection / transmission surface constituting the resonator surface on the laser beam emission side (Claim 8). . A plurality of laser devices 301, 302, and 303 are arrayed on the same substrate 110 (claim 9).

  Of course, the apparatus of the first embodiment may be used as the laser apparatus for array arrangement, or the laser apparatus of the first and second embodiments may be mixed and arrayed. Further, the number of arrayed laser devices is not limited to three and is arbitrary.

It is a figure for demonstrating the laser apparatus of Example 1. FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a laser device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a laser device array of Example 3.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 Semiconductor laser array 17 and 19 which are excitation light sources Cylinder lens which comprises collimating lens 21 Spectral prism as a spectroscopic means 23 Condensing lens 27 Laser crystal 27A Core 27B Clad 29 Frequency shift means 31 Reflective mirror

Claims (9)

The above laser crystal of a laser resonator having a laser crystal including a core to which an element to be a laser medium is added, a clad not including an element to be a laser medium, and a resonator surface arranged so as to sandwich the laser crystal In the laser oscillation method in which excitation light emitted from an excitation light source composed of a semiconductor laser or a light emitting diode is incident through an excitation optical system to excite the laser crystal,
Of the above-mentioned excitation light, light having a wavelength that does not contribute to the excitation of the laser crystal is separated from the optical path of the excitation optical system by a spectroscopic means, and the frequency of the separated light is determined by a scattering medium having temporal and spatial fluctuations. A laser oscillation method, characterized in that the light is shifted by a configured device to be light that contributes to excitation of the laser crystal and is incident on the laser crystal. A laser resonator having a core to which an element to be a laser medium is added, a laser crystal composed of a clad not containing the element to be a laser medium, and a resonator surface disposed so as to sandwich the laser crystal;
An excitation light source consisting of a semiconductor laser or a light emitting diode;
A first excitation optical system for causing the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source to enter the laser crystal;
Spectroscopic means for separating light of a wavelength component that does not contribute to excitation of the laser crystal from the excitation light from the optical path of the first excitation optical system;
A frequency shift means for shifting the frequency of the light separated by the spectroscopic means to make the light contribute to the excitation of the laser crystal;
A second excitation optical system for making the light whose frequency is shifted by the frequency shift means enter the laser crystal,
The laser apparatus, wherein the frequency shift means is a device having a scattering medium having temporal and spatial fluctuations. The laser device according to claim 2, wherein
A laser apparatus using a spectroscopic prism as spectroscopic means. The laser device according to claim 2, wherein
A laser device characterized in that the spectroscopic means uses a photonic crystal having a super prism effect. The laser device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein
A device having a scattering medium with temporal and spatial fluctuations
The microspheres are arranged randomly in the liquid, and are configured to cause temporal and spatial fluctuations due to the fluctuations of the spheres caused by heat, and control the heat to cause the temporal and spatial fluctuations. A laser device characterized in that the shift amount is adjusted by the above.   A laser device array formed by arranging a plurality of laser devices according to any one of claims 2 to 5 in an array. The laser device array according to claim 6, wherein
Two or more of the plurality of laser devices arranged in an array have different peak wavelengths of spectral transmittance of reflection / transmission surfaces constituting the resonator surface on the laser beam emission side, . The laser device array according to claim 7, wherein
A laser device array, wherein each of the plurality of laser devices arranged in an array has a different peak wavelength of spectral transmittance of a reflection / transmission surface constituting a resonator surface on a laser light emission side. The laser device array according to claim 7 or 8,
A laser device array, wherein a plurality of laser devices are arrayed on the same substrate.

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