Patent ID: 6574255
Filing Date: 2003-06-03
Classification: H01S

Abstract:
A method of selectively irradiating a material having a characteristic absorption band in a spectral region between about 106 and 900 nm, the irradiation being for one or more of cutting, ablating, heating or photochemically altering the material, the method comprising the steps of:(a) providing an OPS-laser, said OPS-laser including an OPS-structure having a gain-structure incorporated into a laser resonator, said gain structure including a plurality of active layers having separator layers therebetween, said active layers having a composition selected to provide generation by said laser resonator of fundamental laser-radiation having a wavelength which is a selected integer multiple of a predetermined wavelength within the characteristic absorption band of the material when optical-pump light is delivered to said gain-structure, and said OPS-laser including one or more optically-nonlinear crystals arranged to multiply the frequency of said fundamental laser-radiation by said selected integer multiple, thereby generating frequency-multiplied radiation having said predetermined wavelength; (b) delivering optical pump-light to said gain structure, thereby generating said frequency-multiplied radiation; (c) coupling said frequency-multiplied radiation cut of said OPS laser as output-radiation; and (d) delivering said output-radiation to the material.