Laser system having a multi-stage amplifier and methods of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10784646-B2
Application number	US-201715833906-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2017
Priority date	Dec 6, 2016
Publication date	Sep 22, 2020
Grant date	Sep 22, 2020

Abstract

A laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system which includes at least one seed source configured to output at least one seed signal having a seed signal wavelength, at least one pump source configured to output at least one pump signal, at least one multi-pass amplifier system in communication with the seed source and having at least one gain media, a first mirror, and at least a second mirror therein, the gain media device positioned between the first mirror and second mirror and configured to output at least one amplifier output signal having an output wavelength range, the first mirror and second mirror may be configured to reflect the amplifier output signal within the output wavelength range, and at least one optical system may be in communication with the amplifier system and configured to receive the amplifier output signal and output an output signal within the output wavelength range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system, comprising;
at least one seed source configured to output at least one seed signal having a seed signal wavelength;
at least one pump source configured to provide at least one pump signal having at least one pump signal wavelength;
at least one first amplifier stage configured to amplify the at least one seed signal to generate at least one amplified seed signal in response thereto;
at least one multi-pass second amplifier stage configured to receive the at least one amplified seed signal;
at least one gain media device positioned within the at least one multi-pass second amplifier, the gain media device having at least one elongated facet and at least one compact facet, the at least one gain media device pumped by the at least one pump signal and configured to receive the at least one amplified seed signal and output at least one amplifier output signal having an output wavelength range;
a first mirror and at least a second mirror positioned within the at least one multi-pass second amplifier stage wherein the at least one gain media device is positioned between the first mirror and at least the second mirror, at least one of the first mirror and at least one second mirror having areas of high reflectivity at the output wavelength range and areas of high transmission at wavelengths outside the output wavelength range wherein the at least one area of high transmission formed on the at least one of the first mirror and the at least one second mirror is configured to transmit at least one of the at least one pump signal and at least one parasitic signal during an amplification process;
at least one optical system in communication with the at least one multi-pass amplifier system and configured to receive the at least one amplifier output signal and output at least one output signal within the output wavelength range.

2. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 1 wherein the at least one seed source comprises at least one gain switched diode laser system.

3. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 1 wherein the at least one seed source comprises at least one fiber-amplified diode laser system.

4. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 1 wherein the at least one seed source is configured to output at least one seed signal having a wavelength of 1000 nm 1100 nm.

5. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 1 wherein the at least one seed source is configured to output at least one seed signal having a wavelength of 1064 nm.

6. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 1 wherein the at least one seed source is configured to output at least one seed signal having a wavelength of 1030 nm.

7. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 1 wherein the at least one pump source comprises multiple fiber-coupled diodes.

8. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 7 wherein the at least one pump source includes at least one positioning feature configured to position one or more fiber optic conduits of the at least one pump source to produce the at least one pump signal output having an elongated profile.

9. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 1 wherein the at least one pump signal wavelength is less than 1000 nm.

10. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 1 wherein the at least one seed source comprises a pulsed seed source having a repetition rate of 100 kHz or more.

11. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 1 wherein the at least one seed source comprises a pulsed seed source having a repetition rate of 10 kHz or more.

12. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 1 wherein the at least one amplified seed signal is incident on the at least one elongated facet of the at least one gain media device.

13. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 1 wherein the at least one pump signal is incident on the at least one elongated facet of the at least one gain media device.

14. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 1 wherein the at least one pump signal and at least one amplified seed signal are incident on the at least one elongated facet of the at least one gain media device.

15. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first mirror and the at least one second mirror comprises a curved mirror.

16. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 15 wherein a radius of curvature of the curved mirror is configured to maintain a beam radius of the at least one amplified output seed signal at a substantially constant beam radius when traversing through the at least one gain media device.

17. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first mirror and the at least one second mirror are angled relative to the gain media device.

18. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 1 wherein the at least one first amplifier stage includes at least one first amplifier stage gain media therein.

19. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 1 wherein the at least one first amplifier stage gain media comprises a Nd:YVO 4 material.

20. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 1 wherein the at least one first amplifier stage gain media is selected from the group consisting of Nd:GdVO 4 , Nd:YAG, Nd:YLF, Nd:glass, Yb:YAG, Yb:KGW, Yb:CaF 2 , Yb:CALGO, Yb:Lu 2 O 3 , Yb:S-FAP, Yb:glass, semiconductor gain media, and ceramic laser materials.

21. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 1 wherein the gain media device positioned within the at least one second amplifier stage comprises a Nd:YVO 4 material.

22. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 1 wherein the gain media device positioned within the at least one second amplifier stage is selected from the group consisting of Nd:GdVO 4 , Nd:YAG, Nd:YLF, Nd:glass, Yb:YAG, Yb:KGW, Yb:CaF 2 , Yb:CALGO, Yb:Lu 2 O 3 , Yb:S-FAP, Yb:glass, semiconductor gain media, and ceramic laser materials.

23. The laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system of claim 1 wherein the at least one optical system comprises at least one additional amplifier.

24. A laser system having a multi-pass amplifier system, comprising;
at least one seed source configured to output at least one seed signal having a seed signal wavelength;
at least one pump source configured to provide at least one pump signal having at least one pump signal wavelength;
at least one first amplifier stage configured to amplify the at least one seed signal to generate at least one amplified seed signal in response thereto;
at least one multi-pass second amplifier stage configured to receive the at least one amplified seed signal therein;
at least one gain media device positioned within the at least one multi-pass second amplifier, the gain media device having at least one elongated facet and at least one compact facet, the at least one gain media device pumped by the at least one pump signal on the at least one elongated facet, the at least one gain media device configured to receive the at least one amplified seed signal on the at least one elongated facet and output at least

Assignees

• Newport Corp

Inventors

• Spence David E
• Hwang Bor-Chyuan
• Rettig Curtis
• Sosnowski Thomas
• Wein Georg
• Terpugoff Victor
• Kafka James D

Classifications

• H01S3/2325 Primary

  Multi-pass amplifiers, e.g. regenerative amplifiers · CPC title

• H01S3/2316

  Cascaded amplifiers · CPC title

• H01S3/08059

  Constructional details of the reflector, e.g. shape (mirrors in general G02B5/08; mountings for mirrors G02B7/18) · CPC title

• H01S3/1643

  YAG · CPC title

• H01S3/1611

  neodymium · CPC title