Patent ID: 7079557
Filing Date: 2006-07-18
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
1. A laser providing a preselected wavelength beam comprising: a) a laser resonator having a laser resonator cavity formed between a first laser resonator reflective surface and a second laser resonator reflective surface, said laser resonator having a resonator optical axis; b) a lasing medium located within said laser resonator cavity for generating a fundamental wavelength beam; c) an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) cavity formed between a first OPO reflective surface and a second OPO reflective surface said optical parametric oscillator cavity having an oscillator optical axis which is in part separate from said resonator optical axis and which in part overlaps said resonator optical axis; d) an OPO nonlinear generator for OPO generation located within said OPO cavity along said oscillator optical axis and along said resonator optical axis in optical communication with said first and said second OPO reflective surface; said OPO nonlinear generator oriented to convert said fundamental wavelength beam into a preselected wavelength beam having a preselected longer wavelength than said fundamental beam; e) means to direct said fundamental wavelength beam into said optical parametric oscillator cavity along said oscillator optical axis and through said OPO nonlinear generator at a preselected polarization to convert a first portion of said fundamental wavelength beam to a preselected wavelength beam having a longer wavelength than said fundamental beam, said preselected wavelength beam having the same preselected polarization as said fundamental beam; f) said optical axes intersecting opposed faces of said OPO nonlinear generator; said opposed faces having a Brewster cut at the intersection of said OPO nonlinear generator and said axes so that the fundamental beam and the preselected wavelength beam incident on said generator within 10 degrees of the Brewster angle for said generator; both said preselected wavelength beam and said fundamental beam incidenting on said on said generator at said preselected polarization; g) said fundamental beam reflected by said first resonator reflective surface back through said OPO nonlinear generator at said preselcted polarization to convert a second portion of said fundamental laser beam to preselected wavelength beam having the same preselected polarization as said fundamental beam; said preselected wavelength beam reflected by said OPO first reflective surface to oscillate said preselected wavelength beam in said OPO cavity; i) a first beam separator in optical communication with said OPO nonlinear generator to separate said preselected wavelength beam from said fundamental wavelength beam after said second portion of said fundamental beam has been converted to preselected wavelength beam; j) fundamental beam directing means to direct said separated fundamental beam back through said lasing medium for further amplification; k) preselected wavelength beam directing means for directing said separated preselected wavelength beam to said second OPO reflective surface where said beam is at least partially reflected back through said OPO nonlinear generator at said preselected polarization.