JPS6136399B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a solid-state laser device that uses a semiconductor laser as an excitation light source.

Solid-state lasers are smaller than gas lasers and can provide high output, but because they usually use a discharge tube such as a Xe lamp as an excitation source, they have to be larger than semiconductor lasers that use p-n junctions for excitation. I didn't get it. However, semiconductor lasers still cannot provide as large an output as solid-state lasers, and their coherence is also inferior to that of solid-state lasers.

This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and provides a solid-state laser device that uses a semiconductor laser as an excitation light source to achieve significant miniaturization and also makes it possible to obtain a high-output laser with excellent coherence. It is something to do.

The solid-state laser device according to the present invention uses a plurality of semiconductor laser elements stacked in series to serve as an excitation light source, and optically couples two solid-state laser substances arranged sandwiching the semiconductor laser element array to generate a laser beam. It is characterized by having a resonator structure.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of one embodiment. In the figure, 1 is a light guide laser element array as an excitation light source, and more specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of semiconductor laser elements 11 ₁ ,
11 ₂ . . . 11n are arranged in a stacked manner, and a forward bias is applied in series from a power supply 12 to each pn junction. 2 ₁ and 2 ₂ are solid laser materials such as NdP ₅ O ₁₄ crystals, which are arranged to sandwich the semiconductor laser element array 1 and are excited by receiving laser output light from both sides of the semiconductor laser element array 1. It is becoming more and more common. One end surface of one solid-state laser material ₂₁ is coated with a total reflection mirror ₃₁ , and one end surface of the other solid-state laser material ₂₂ is coated with a semi-transparent mirror ₃₂ . And these solid-state laser materials 2 ₁ , 2 ₂
For example, LiTaO ₃ , LiNdO ₃ , KDP,
A coupler 4 made of electro-optic crystal such as ADP is arranged, and the solid-state laser materials 2 ₁ and 2 ₂ are optically coupled to form a laser resonator. That is, the light excited by the semiconductor laser element array 1 and generated within the solid-state laser materials 2 ₁ and 2 ₂ is reflected by the total reflection mirror 3.
₁ and the semi-transparent mirror 3 ₂ , the solid laser material 2
₁ - Coupler 4 - Solid-state laser material 2 ₂ A substantially U-shaped optical path is taken, and the light is amplified by going back and forth many times, and then extracted from a semi-transparent mirror ₃₂ as a high-output laser beam. Reference numerals 5 ₁ and 5 ₂ are heat sinks made of good thermal conductors, and the solid-state laser materials 2 ₁ and 2 ₂ , the semiconductor laser element array 1, and the coupler 4 are tightly sandwiched and fixed from above and below.

With such a configuration, since a semiconductor laser element array is used as an excitation source, it becomes extremely compact compared to, for example, a conventional solid-state laser that uses a flash lamp. Moreover, since two solid-state laser materials are placed opposite to both optical output end faces of the semiconductor laser element array and are optically coupled to form a laser resonator, it is possible to efficiently obtain high-output laser light. I can do it. Further, the coupler can be easily used not only as a simple optical coupler but also as a modulator, and a laser output with desired modulation can be obtained.

Furthermore, it is possible to employ a solid-state laser material and a coupler that are cut at the Brewster angle so that the optical coupling between 2 ₁ , 4 , 4 , and _{2 2} minimizes optical loss.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a semiconductor laser element array. 1... Semiconductor laser element array, 11 ₁ , 11
₂ ... 11 _o ... semiconductor laser element, 12 ... power supply, 3 ₁ , 3 ₂ ... solid-state laser material, 4 ... coupler, 5 ₁ , 5 ₂ ... heat sink.

Claims (1)

[Claims] an excitation light source consisting of a semiconductor laser element array in which a plurality of semiconductor laser elements each having a light output end face on both end faces are arranged with the directions of the light output facets aligned; and a pumping light source that faces the light output end face of the semiconductor laser element array. A solid-state laser device comprising two solid-state laser materials disposed with the excitation light source sandwiched therebetween, and a coupler for optically coupling the two solid-state laser materials.