Optically pumped solid state laser device with self aligning pump optics and enhanced gain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015318656-A1
Application number	US-201314650606-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 5, 2013
Priority date	Dec 11, 2012
Publication date	Nov 5, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to an optically pumped solid state laser device, comprising one or several solid state laser media ( 100 ) in a laser resonator and one or several pump laser diodes ( 200 ) and pump radiation reflecting mirrors ( 300 ). The laser resonator is formed of one or several first resonator mirrors arranged at a first side of the solid state laser media ( 100 ) and one or several second resonator mirrors ( 310, 320, 330 ) arranged at a second side of the solid state laser media ( 100 ). The first and second resonator mirrors are arranged to guide laser radiation ( 500 ) on at least two different straight paths through each of said laser media ( 100 ). The pump laser diodes ( 200 ) are arranged to optically pump the solid state laser media ( 100 ) by reflection of pump radiation ( 510 ) at said pump radiation reflecting mirrors ( 300 ). The pump radiation reflecting mirrors ( 300 ) and the second resonator mirrors ( 310, 320, 330 ) are integrally formed in a single mirror element ( 600 ). With this design of the solid state laser device an easy alignment of the pump optics and an enhanced gain of the laser device are achieved. The proposed solid state laser device can be realized in a compact form.

First claim

1 . An optically pumped solid state laser device, comprising:
at least one solid state laser media in a laser resonator, said laser resonator being formed of at least one first resonator mirrors arranged at a first side of the at least one solid state laser media and at least one second resonator mirrors arranged at a second side of the at least one solid state laser media opposing said first side, said at least one first and second resonator mirrors being arranged to guide laser radiation of said laser resonator on at least two different straight paths through each of said laser media, at least one pump laser diodes and pump radiation reflecting mirrors, said at least one pump laser diodes being arranged to optically pump said at least one solid state laser media by reflection of pump radiation at said pump radiation reflecting mirrors, said pump radiation reflecting mirrors being arranged on said second side and designed to directly reflect said pump radiation to the at least one solid state laser media, wherein said pump reflecting mirrors and said at least one second resonator mirrors, are integrally formed in a single mirror element.

2 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one solid state laser media are mounted side by side on a cooling body.

3 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one solid state laser media are formed of quantum-well structures on distributed Bragg reflectors.

4 . The device according to claim 2 , further comprising at least two of said solid state laser media, each surrounded by several of said pump laser diodes on said cooling body.

5 . The device according to claim 4 , wherein the mirror element comprises one pump radiation reflecting mirror for each of said laser media, said pump radiation reflecting mirror being arranged between said second resonator mirrors and an outer one of said second resonator mirrors being designed to form an outcoupling mirror.

6 . The device according to claim 2 , further comprising one single of said solid state laser media surrounded by several of said pump laser diodes on said cooling body.

7 . The device according to claim 6 , wherein the mirror element comprises a central region which forms said second resonator mirrors and an outer region which is designed to reflect said pump radiation to the solid state laser medium and forms said pump radiation reflecting mirror, one of said second resonator mirrors being designed to form an outcoupling mirror.

8 . The device according to claim 7 , wherein said outer region of said mirror element is designed to generate an intensity distribution of the pump radiation in said solid state laser medium, the intensity distribution covering all of said different paths of the laser radiation through the solid state laser medium.

9 . The device according to claim 2 , wherein said pump laser diodes are arranged on said cooling body to surround each of said solid state laser media.

10 . The device according to claim 2 , wherein said pump laser diodes are vertical cavity surface emitting lasers or electrically pumped vertical extended cavity surface emitting lasers.

Assignees

• Gronenborn Stephan
• Koninkl Philips Nv

Inventors

• Gronenborn Stephan

Classifications

• H01S3/042

  for solid state lasers {(H01S3/0401 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H01S3/0604

  in the form of a plate or disc · CPC title

• H01S5/34

  comprising quantum well or superlattice structures, e.g. single quantum well [SQW] lasers, multiple quantum well [MQW] lasers or graded index separate confinement heterostructure [GRINSCH] lasers (H01S5/36 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01S5/423

  having a vertical cavity · CPC title

• H01S3/025 Primary

  of solid state lasers, e.g. housings or mountings · CPC title