JPS611073A - Laser oscillator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To efficiently lead a light into a lightguide by associating an optical fiber as a resonator mirror in a laser oscillator, thereby eliminating optical adjustment. CONSTITUTION:A discharge tube 11 to become a window for forming a Brewster angle with respect to an optical axis at both ends is provided in a gas laser oscillator body 10, and a concave surface having reflectivity of 99.5% or larger or a plane resonance reflecting mirror 12 is coaxially disposed on the extension of the tubular axis of the tube 11 near one window. An optical fiber 13 is coaxially disposed near the other window. The end 14 of the fiber 13 opposed to the window is formed with a dielectric multilayer film on an accurate plane. When a light incident area is expanded in a tapered surface, large output is obtained. A dielectric multilayer film can be omitted by the material of the optical fiber. In this construction, a condensing lens is eliminated to simplify the oscillator to obviate the reflecting loss of the lens surface, scattering loss and to remarkably improve the incident efficiency of the laser light.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The invention relates to a laser oscillation device.

2. Description of the Related Art Devices are known that perform various processing and measurements by making laser light emitted from a laser oscillator enter a light guide body such as an optical fiber. Conventionally, as shown in Fig. 1, for example, one of the output sides of a pair of resonator mirrors (3a) and (3b) provided at both ends of a discharge tube (2) constituting a gas laser oscillator (1) is used. A laser beam (
4) is taken out, and a condensing lens (5) is provided on its optical path to allow the light to enter the end face (7) of the optical fiber (6). But with this configuration.

Due to surface reflection loss, scattering loss, internal absorption loss, etc. at the end face (7) of the condenser lens (5) and optical fiber (6).

The amount of light entering the optical fiber (6) decreased, resulting in poor efficiency. As a countermeasure for this, it was necessary to coat each surface of each optical component through which the laser beam (4) passes with an antireflection film. In addition, the laser beam (4) is applied to the end face of a minute optical fiber (
A high degree of optical adjustment had to be made to ensure that the light entered the beam.

This invention was made in view of the above circumstances.

An optical fiber serving as a light guide is incorporated into a laser oscillator as a resonator mirror to efficiently guide laser light into a light guide path without the need for optical adjustment.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on drawings showing embodiments.

In Figure 2, (10) is the main body of the gas laser oscillator.

This main body is equipped with a discharge tube aυ whose both ends serve as windows forming Brewster's angle with the optical axis, and near one window there is a discharge tube aυ with 99,
A concave spherical or flat resonant reflector (14) with a reflectance of 5% or more is arranged coaxially on the tube axis extension of the discharge tube (11). An optical fiber α3 is arranged coaxially with the discharge tube (11).The end face α of the optical fiber α facing the window is formed into a highly accurate flat surface coated with a dielectric multilayer film in this embodiment. However, in order to obtain a large output, the end surface (14) should be made into a tapered surface instead of a flat surface as described above to expand the light incident area. The anode and cathode are connected to the optical fiber.Depending on the material of the optical fiber, it is not necessarily necessary to attach a dielectric multilayer film.

Since this invention has the above-described configuration, it becomes a simple device that does not require an optical system such as a condensing lens as in the past, and also connects the single oscillated laser beam a9 to the optical fiber (to the first floor). The joining adjustment can now be done with the same simple adjustment as that of a resonator mirror.Also.

Since the laser beam 6 directly enters the optical fiber (I3).

The surface reflection loss, scattering loss, etc. caused by the conventional lens portion were eliminated, and the incidence efficiency was significantly improved.

In the above embodiment, the optical fiber (13) was arranged as one of the resonator mirrors serving as the output mirror, but as shown in FIG. tl
) to emit the laser beam t151. In addition, in the above two embodiments, the structure is such that the light enters the optical fiber α through the window, but the structure is not limited to this, and the so-called internal An oscillator with a mirror structure also provides the same effect as described above.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional configuration, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention. 0υ...Discharge tube ←...Optical resonator reflector αKen...Optical fiber agent Patent attorney Noriyuki Chika (1 or 1 person)

Claims (1)

[Claims] A laser oscillation device characterized in that at least one of the laser resonator mirrors is constituted by a light guide body in which a reflective film serving as an output mirror is formed on an end face.