Patent ID: 11888287
Assignee: BAE SYSTEMS INFORMATION AND ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS INTEGRATION INC.
Field: Optics (Instruments)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 15:
16. A method of cooling a laser system, comprising:
providing a compact laser system, comprising:
a first liquid cooled heat exchanger in fluid connection with a laser cooling system inlet;
a pair of heat spreaders for mounting a pair of pump diode arrays coupled to the first liquid cooled heat exchanger;
a pair of thermoelectric coolers, each for precise independent thermal control of the pump diode arrays,
a first temperature sensing device mounted on the first liquid cooled heat exchanger to monitor the pair of thermoelectric coolers;
a second liquid cooled heat exchanger in fluid connection with the first liquid cooled heat exchanger;
a pair of gain medium, comprising crystals and a pair of crystal mount heat spreaders, coupled to the second liquid cooled heat exchanger; and
a second temperature sensing device mounted on the second liquid cooled heat exchanger to monitor the pair of crystal mount heat spreaders;
the first and second liquid cooled heat exchangers being thermally isolated via structure yet sharing a serial fluid path thereby forming a split liquid cooled heat exchanger;

flowing a coolant into the first liquid cooled heat exchanger via the laser cooling system inlet, wherein the coolant is about 20° C.;
cooling the pair of pump diode arrays via the pair of thermoelectric coolers in fluid connection with the first liquid cooled heat exchanger, wherein each of the pump diode arrays is cooled by each of the thermoelectric coolers;
measuring a temperature of the pair of pump diode arrays;
flowing the coolant from the first liquid cooled heat exchanger to the second liquid cooled heat exchanger, wherein the coolant is about 25° C.;
cooling the pair of gain medium via the pair of crystal mount heat spreaders in fluid connection with the second liquid cooled heat exchanger;
measuring a temperature of the pair of gain medium; and
flowing the coolant out of the second liquid cooled heat exchanger at a temperature less than 30° C.