JPH1187806A - Solid laser oscillator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To protect a seal part for water-tightly holding a laser rod from burning by the return light of a laser beam. SOLUTION: In a solid laser oscillator, composed by housing an excitation lamp for irradiating excitation light by a voltage from a power source and a laser rod 11 composed of a solid material for absorbing the excitation light from the excitation lamp and performing laser oscillation inside a pumping chamber, and respectively providing a rear mirror and an output mirror on the outside on both sides of the pumping chamber, the end part of the laser rod 11 is held by the pumping chamber with a rod holder 13 through a seal member 25, and a holder block 29 provided with an opening part 27 smaller than the diameter of the laser rod 11 is provided inside the rod holder 13.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a solid-state laser oscillation device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a laser rod 101 used in a solid-state laser oscillation device is always water-cooled as shown in FIG. In addition, the end surface of the end portion 101A (the end portion in FIG. 4) of the laser rod 101 cannot be immersed in water because it has an AR coating. Therefore, the O-ring 103 is covered with an outer rod holder 105 via an O-ring 103 serving as a sealing member, and the outer side of the O-ring 103 is covered with an inner rod holder 107 to maintain watertightness.

[0003]

By the way, in the above-mentioned conventional solid-state laser oscillation device, the laser rod 101 is connected to the outer rod holder 105 and the inner rod holder 107.
4, the reflected light (return light) of the laser light returns from various places such as an optical component and a processing work to the inside rod holder 107 in FIG. 4 as indicated by an arrow. Reflected light (return light) is laser rod 1
In some cases, the O-ring 103 may enter through the gap δ generated between the outer peripheral surface of the O. 01 and the inner rod holder 107 and burn out.

[0004] If the O-ring 103 is burned, there is a risk that water leaks or burnt residue adheres to the end face of the laser rod 101 and the AR coating on the end face of the laser rod 101 is burned.

An object of the present invention is to provide a solid-state laser oscillation device that protects a sealing member that holds a laser rod in a watertight manner from burning due to return light of laser light.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a solid-state laser oscillating device for irradiating an excitation light with a voltage from a power supply, and an excitation light from the excitation lamp. A laser rod, which is a laser medium made of a solid material for absorbing laser light and oscillating laser, is housed in a pumping chamber, and a rear mirror and an output mirror are provided on both sides of the pumping chamber. An end portion of the laser rod is held in the pumping chamber by a rod holder via a sealing member, and a holder block having an opening smaller than the diameter of the laser rod is provided inside the rod holder. It is characterized by the following.

Therefore, the excitation light in the pumping chamber in the pumping chamber is irradiated to the laser rod by the voltage from the power supply, and is absorbed by the laser rod. After the excited laser rod resonates between the output mirror and the rear mirror, laser light is output from the output mirror. The laser light output from the output mirror is irradiated, for example, from a laser head toward the work, and laser processing is performed.

The return light of the laser beam returns from the work or the like into the rod holder. The size of the opening provided in the holder block provided inside the rod holder is smaller than the diameter of the laser rod. Because it has become
The return light that has passed through the opening is not irradiated to the seal member, and the seal member is protected from burning due to the return light.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a solid-state laser oscillation device according to the first aspect,
A female screw is formed on the inner peripheral surface inside the rod holder, and a male screw is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the holder block having the opening, and the female screw and the male screw are screwed together.

Accordingly, since the male screw of the holder block having the opening is screwed to the female screw of the rod holder, the holder block can be easily attached and detached and easily replaced even if the holder block is burned.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 3, for example, a YAG laser oscillating device 1 as a solid-state laser oscillating device includes an upright base 3, on which a pumping chamber 5 is provided. This pumping chamber 5
The inside is cooled, and an excitation lamp 9 for irradiating excitation light with a high voltage from a power supply 7 and a YAG rod 11 as a laser rod, which is a laser medium that absorbs the excitation light from the excitation lamp 9 and oscillates laser. Is stored. Moreover, both sides of the YAG rod 11 are held on the side walls of the pumping chamber 5 by rod holders 13 and 15, respectively.

The YAG rod 11 is a laser medium that absorbs the excitation light from the excitation lamp 9 and performs laser oscillation. This laser medium is Nd-YAG in which neodymium ions (Nd3 +) are mixed as an active substance into a host crystal of Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG). As the excitation lamp 9, a straight discharge tube mainly filled with Xe or Kr gas is used, but there is also a spiral discharge tube, and there is no particular limitation.

Outside the pumping chamber 5, a rear mirror 17 facing one end of the YAG rod 11 and an output mirror 19 facing the other end of the YAG rod 11 are provided on the base 3 with mirror holders, respectively. 2
The mirror holders 21 and 23 are fixed on the base 3. The output mirror 1
Although a plane mirror is used for the mirror 9 and the rear mirror 17 in the present embodiment, a concave mirror and sometimes a convex mirror can be used, and there is no particular limitation.

The end 11A of the YAG rod 11 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the O-ring 25 is covered with an outer holder 13A of the rod holder 13 via, for example, an O-ring 25 as a sealing member.
Is covered with an inner holder 13B to keep watertight. The end surface of the end 11A of the YAG rod 11 is AR-coated.

A holder block 29 having an opening 27 is integrated with the inside of the inside holder 13B.
Moreover, the size (diameter) of the opening 27 is the same as that of the YAG.
It is formed smaller than the diameter D of the rod 11.

According to the above configuration, the holder block 29 having the opening 27 smaller than the diameter D of the YAG rod 11 is provided inside the inner holder 13B, so that the holder block 29 is larger than the opening 27 of the return light of the laser beam. The portion is shielded from light by the holder block 29. Further, since the diameter of the opening 27 is smaller than the diameter of the YAG rod 11, the laser light itself may be kicked by the holder block 29. However, since the laser light is gradually stopped down by the thermal lens effect, the laser light is kicked. The problem occurs only in a region where the laser output is extremely small, and there is no problem.

Therefore, the diameter of the return light is set to the YAG rod 1
Since the holder block 29 having the opening 27 smaller than the diameter of 1 is provided coaxially inside the inner holder 13B, the alignment of the opening 27 becomes unnecessary and the rod holder 13 itself is water-cooled. Therefore, there is no need to worry about overheating, and it is possible to protect the O-ring 25 from burning due to return light.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment which is an alternative to FIG. In FIG. 2, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

In FIG. 2, a female screw 31 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the inner holder 13B, and a male screw 33 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the holder block 29.

With the above configuration, the female screw 31 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the inner holder 13B is screwed with the male screw 33 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the holder block 29, and the inner holder 13B has an opening 27. The holder block 29 is detachably integrated.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the same operation and effect as those in FIG. 1 described above can be obtained. Moreover, since the holder block 29 having the opening 27 is detachable from the inside holder 13B, even if the holder block 29 is burned out, it can be easily replaced.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be embodied in other forms by making appropriate changes.

[0024]

As can be understood from the embodiments of the invention as described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the excitation light is irradiated from the excitation lamp in the pumping chamber toward the laser rod by the voltage from the power supply. Is absorbed by the laser rod. After the excited laser rod resonates between the output mirror and the rear mirror, laser light is output from the output mirror. The laser light output from the output mirror is irradiated, for example, from a laser head toward the work, and laser processing is performed.

The return light of the laser beam returns from the work or the like into the rod holder. The size of the opening provided in the holder block provided inside the rod holder is smaller than the diameter of the laser rod. Because it has become
The return light that has passed through the opening is not irradiated to the seal member, and the seal member can be protected from burning due to the return light.

According to the invention of claim 2, in addition to the effect of claim 1, the external thread of the holder block having the opening is:
Since it is screwed into the female screw of the rod holder, it can be easily attached and detached, and can be easily replaced even if the holder block is burned.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a main part of the present invention and is an enlarged detailed view of a part viewed from an arrow I in FIG.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing another embodiment instead of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a solid-state laser oscillation device embodying the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which a laser rod in a conventional solid-state laser oscillation device is held by a rod holder.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 YAG laser oscillation device (solid-state laser oscillation device) 5 pumping chamber 9 excitation lamp 11 YAG rod (laser rod) 13, 15 rod holder 13A outer holder 13B inner holder 17 rear mirror 19 output mirror 25 O-ring (seal member) 27 Opening 29 Holder block 31 Female screw 33 Male screw

Claims (2)

[Claims] An pump lamp for irradiating an excitation light with a voltage from a power supply and a laser rod as a laser medium made of a solid material for absorbing the excitation light from the excitation lamp and oscillating the laser are provided in a pumping chamber. In a solid-state laser oscillation device in which a rear mirror and an output mirror are provided outside on both sides of the pumping chamber, the end of the laser rod is held in the pumping chamber by a rod holder via a seal member. A solid state laser oscillation device comprising: a holder block having an opening smaller than the diameter of the laser rod inside the rod holder. 2. A female screw is formed on an inner peripheral surface inside the rod holder and a male screw is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the holder block having the opening, and the female screw and the male screw are screwed together. Claim 1
The solid-state laser oscillation device as described in the above.