MULTIPLE HOST FACE-PUMPED LASER

Abstract: A total internal reflection face-pumped laser (10) has two or more elongate parallel spaced-apart hosts (20, 30). A flash lamp (40, 41) adjacent the outer surface (21, 32) of each host pumps the laser asymmetrically. Coolant fluid is passed over the host surfaces through inlet nozzles (80, 81, 82) and exit ports (90). A greater flow of coolant is passed over the outer surfaces (21, 32) adjacent the pumping lamps (40, 41) than over the inner mutually adjacent surfaces (22, 31) of the hosts, thereby providing asym­ metric cooling to compensate for the asymmetric heating caused by the asymmetric face-pumping. Thermally induced bending of the hosts is thereby reduced permitting the average power output of the laser to be increased without distortion.

Description: MULTIPLE HOST FACE-PUMPED LASER Background of the Invention Field of the Invention This invention relates to a face-pumped laser, and more particularly, to such a laser providing in one head a plurality of laser hosts allowing a greater volume of host material and therefore higher average power laser output while maintaining the benefits of the face-pumped, total internal reflection laser technique. Description of the Prior Art It is well known in the art that laser devices emit electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths generally in the infrared and visible portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The radiation emission is substantially coherent and is characterized by a narrow wavelength band. Laser devices are operable using a suitable medium or host in which a population inversion may be established in a particular metastable energy level by proper optical "pumping". Neodymium glass, ruby, helium, neon, and carbon dioxide are media which are commonly employed. By "pumping" or irradiating the active medium with electromagnetic radiation possessing power necessary to create the population inversion, conditions permitting coherent emission may be obtained. The means emitting the radiation causing inversion is called pumping means while the wavelength of the radiation is known as the "pumping wavelength". Laser devices which emit high energy pulses are well known in the art as pulsed lasers. The emitted pulses, though high in energy, are short in duration, lasting on the order of milliseconds to picoseconds. The laser output is only a small percentage of the input energy, a large percentage of the energy ending up as heat in the laser medium. In pulsed lasers, one or more surfaces of the active medium are cooled in order to extract the excess heat. Because of the limited thermal conductivity of the host material, the excess heat is more rapidly removed from near the surface than from the interior, causing the center of the host to be warmer than the surface. Repeated operation of the laser host, precluding a proper cooling period, causes a substantial thermal gradient to be established, resulting in possible structural failure or distortion of the output beam. Lasers employing host materials characterized by low thermal conductivities are particularly limited to low pulse repetition rates. Recent interest in high repetition rates of pulsed lasers has led to increased activity in this field. Since a number of materials, particularly those of the doped glass species, which are employed as the active laser host have low thermal conductivity, several approaches have been taken to overcome this restraint on pulse repetition rate. These approaches have in common the segmenting of the laser material and interspersing of a flowing coolant. The result of this procedure is that the unwanted heat is more quickly removed through the relatively smaller dimension of the segmented laser host material and therefore the composite arrangement can be operated at higher pulse repetition rates without structral failure due to thermally induced stress. In general, however, this technique has not proven to be entirely satisfactory, since the problems of nonuniform heating inversion across the device aperture remains, causing distortion of the laser output beam which in itself is undesirable and which may also result in structural damage. Presently, face-pumped lasers are advantageously employed as pulsed lasers. A face-pumped laser permits substantially uniform activation and concomitant heating across the laser aperture in contrast to the nonuniform optical properties of the side-pumped, rod-type laser device. U. S. Patent 3, 631, 362 - Almasi et al., assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, discloses an arrangement for substantially increasing the pulse repetion rate of face-pumed laser devices. A problem not solved by the prior art, however, is the provision, in one head, of greater volume of laser host material without exceeding thermal stress limitations and without thermally inducing bending of the laser host body. The prior art, for example, U.S. 3, 633, 126 - Martin et al., assigned also to the same assignee as the present invention, utilizes a single slab of laser host material wherein the vertical dimension, thickness, of the slab is limited by the stress induced by the thermal gradient from the hot center line to the cooled upper and lower surfaces of the host. Consequently, a need exists for a face-pumped laser having a higher average power output but which retains nevertheless the benefits of the face-pumped, total internal reflection laser technique. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a greater volume of laser host material in a face-pumped laser so as to yield higher average power output. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a multiple laser host body in a face-pumped laser which can yield higher average power output without increasing significantly the overall size of the laser. It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a multiple laser host body in a face-pumped laser without exceeding the thermal stress limit in and without thermally inducing bending of the laser host body. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds. Summary of the Invention In accordance with the present invention there is provided a multiple host face-pumped laser. Included are at least two elongated homogeneous bodies of an active laser host, the laser bodies each having a longitudinal axis and a least two optically plane faces entending substantially parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis. The laser host bodies are arranged in a spaced-apart arrangement such that their respective optically plane faces and logitudinal axis are generally parallel. Pumping means are included for providing electromagnetic radiation to impinge upon one of the optically plane faces of and to enter at least one of the laser host bodies; at least some of the radiation passes through the laser host body to exit therefrom thence to impinge upon one of the optically plane faces of and to enter a second laser host body thereby to excite atoms of the laser host bodies to a metastable state thereby producing a population inversion therein. Also included are means for passing a fluid coolant across the optically plane faces of the laser host bodies for extracting heat generated within the laser bodies. In the preferred embodiment, the coolant passing means includes means for effecting cooling of the optically plane faces to approximately the same temperature so as to obviate thermally induced bending of the laser host bodies. Brief Description of the Drawing In the accompanying drawing: Fig. 1 shows an elevational view, in cross section, of the preferred embodiment of the multiple host, face-pumped laser of the present invention; and Fig. 2 shows, in perspective, a partial, cut-away view of the laser of Fig. 1. Description of the Preferred Embodiment In accordance with the present invention, and referring now generally to the drawings, there is shown the preferred embodiment of the multiple host face-pumped laser 10 of the present invention. A pair of elongated homogeneous bodies of an active laser host 20 and 30 are provided. Neodymium doped yttrium-aluminum -garnet, ND:YAG, has been chosen for this application. Each of the laser hosts 20 and 30 has a longitudinal axis 25 and 35 respectively, and at least two optically plane faces 21, 22, and 31, 32 respectively, extending substantially parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis. Laser hosts 20 and 30 are arranged in a spaced-apart relationship as shown such that their respective optically plane faces and longitudinal axes are generally parallel. Pumping means include a pair of flash lamps 40 and 41 which serve to provide electromagnetic radiation (represented in Fig 2 by arrows) to impinge upon one of the optically plane faces of at least one of the laser hosts 20 and 30. In the preferred embodiment, as shown, flash lamp 40 provides radiation to impinge upon optically plane face 21 of and to enter laser host 20 and makes use of a reflector 50 which serves to insure that a large portion of the radiation emitted by the lamp does reach the laser host 20. Likewise, flash lamp 41 and its associated reflector 51 provide radiation to impinge upon optically plane face 32 of and to enter laser host 30. Radiation from the flash lamps 40 and 41 entering the hosts 20 and 30 serves to excite atoms of the laser host bodies to a metastable state thereby producing a population inversion therein. In a face-pumped laser host material such as the slabs 20 and 30, optical distortion effects occur as the slab undergoes heating during its operation. Means are therefore provided for passing a fluid coolant across the optically plane faces of the laser host bodies 20 and 30 for extracting heat generated within the host material, these including the cavities 60, 61, and 62. Fluid tight cavities 60 and 62 are formed in part by a pair of windows 70 and 71 which allow the radiation emitted from the flash lamps 40 and 41 to pass therethrough while serving to retain the fluid coolant being passed across the optically plane faces 21 and 32 respectively of the laser hosts 20 and 30. A series of nozzles 80, 80', 80", etc., 81, 81', 81", etc., and 82, 82', 82", etc., serve to receive and regulate the flow of coolant to be pumped into the cooling cavities 60, 61, and 62 respectively and to exit through parts 90 for effecting cooling of the optically plane faces of the hosts 20 and 30. However, as can be seen, each of the laser hosts 20 and 30 is asymmetrically pumped. That is, the slab surfaces adjacent to the cooling channel 61 receive less optical pumping energy than the faces adjacent to channels 60 and 62. This is caused by absorption of the flash lamp radiation as it passes through the laser host to the surfaces adjacent to the cooling passage 61. The result is asymmetrical heating which tends to make the laser host slab bend. If this bending or flexing were to be allowed, the laser beam would be deflected through the total internal reflections of the face-pumped laser and the output beam would not be parallel to the input beam. Such misalignment would seriously degrade laser performance. Advantageously therefore, nozzles 81, 81', 81", etc. to coolant passage 61 are made smaller than the nozzles to channels 60 and 62 so that the fluid coolant velocity through channel 61 is decreased to the point that the optically plane faces of the laser hosts which are adjacent to channel 61 are maintained at essentially the same temperature as the optically plane faces which are adjacent to channels 60 and 62. By balancing asymmetrical heating with asymmetrical cooling, each laser host body has essentially the same top and bottom surface temperatures and hence does not bend and cause misalignment of the beam. if desired, flash lamps 40 and 41 may also be cooled through the use of a suitable fluid coolant, as for example shown in U. S. 4,207,541, Karger et al., also assigned to same asignee as the present invention. In that arrangement, a flash lamp is placed within a concentric tubing which receives and allows to pass therethrough a liquid coolant which serves to take away excess heat from the flash lamp. The description and figures herein apply specifically to a dual host laser body; however, the invention will apply equally as well to three, four or more laser host bodies arrayed in similar fashion, with appropriate compensation in the coolant flow for each coolant channel. The coolant chosen for use in the preferred embodiment is ethylene glycol and water, but other suitable coolants such as water, alcohol, fluorocarbons, gases, etc. may be used. Also, while ND:YAG has been selected as the preferred host material, and which is available from Airtron, Inc. of Morris Plains N.J., other suitable hosts, such as neodymium doped phosphate or silicate glasses, ruby and Alexandrite may be used.

Claims: CLAIMS l. A multiple host face-pumped laser comprising: at least two elongated homogeneous bodies of an active laser host1 the laser host bodies each having a longitudinal axis and at least two optically plane faces extending substantially parallel to each other and to said longitudinal axis, the laser host bodies being arranged in a spaced apart relationship such that their respective optically plane faces and longitudinal axis are generally parallel; ; pumping means for providing electromagnetic radiation to impinge upon one of the optically plane faces of and to enter at least one of the laser host bodies, at least a portion of the radiation then passing through the laser host body to exit therefrom thence to impinge upon one of the optically plane faces of and to enter the second laser host body thereby to excite atoms of the laser bodies to a metastable state to produce a population inversion therein; and means for passing a fluid coolant across the optically plane faces of the laser host bodies for extracting heat generated within the laser bodies. 2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the coolant passing means includes means for effecting cooling of the optically plane faces to approximately the same temperature whereby thermally induced bending of the laser host bodies is obviated. 3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the pumping means includes at least one source of electromagnetic radiation disposed adjacent one of the optically plane faces of one of the laser host bodies. 4. The invention of claim 3 wherein a reflector is provided to direct radiation from the source toward the laser host bodies. 5. The invention of claim 3 wherein the pumping means further includes a reflector disposed adjacent one of the optically plane faces of a second of the laser host bodies to reflect back to the laser host bodies electromagnetic radiation from the source which has passed through the laser host bodies. 6. The invention of claim 1 wherein the pumping means includes at least two sources of electromagnetic radiation, one source each being disposed adjacent the respective outwardly directed optically plane faces. 7. The invention of claim 6 wherein each source of electromagnetic radiation is provided with a reflector to direct radiation toward the optically plane faces of the laser host bodies. 8. The invention of claim 7 wherein the coolant passing means includes means for effecting cooling of the optically plane faces to approximately the same temperature whereby thermally induced bending of the laser host bodies is obviated. 9. A multiple host face-pumped laser comprising: a first elongated homogeneous body of an active laser host having a longitudinal axis and at least two optically plane faces extending substantially parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis; a second elongated homogeneous body of an active laser host having also a longitudinal axis and at least two optically plane faces extending substantially parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis; ; the first and second laser host bodies being arranged in a spaced apart relationship such that their respective logitudinal axes are generally parallel and one each of the optically plane faces of the first and second laser host bodies are generally parallel, the laser host bodies being aligned such that at least a portion of radiation impinging upon the outer optically plane faces of and traversing the respective laser host bodies will impinge upon the respective inner optically plane faces; ; optical pumping means including first and second sources of electromagnetic radiation, the first source being disposed adjacent the outer optically plane face of the first laser host body and the second source being disposed adjacent the outer optically plane face of the second laser host body such that radiation emitted therefrom impinges upon the respective optically plane faces and enters the respective laser host bodies for exciting atoms in the respective laser host bodies to a metastable state thereby providing a population inversion therein; and means for passing a fluid coolant across the optically plane faces of the laser host bodies for extractihg heat generated within the laser host bodies. 10. The invention of claim 9 wherein the coolant passing means includes means for effecting cooling of the optically plane faces to approximatelly the same temperature for obviating thermally induced bending of the laser hcst bodies. 11. A multiple host face-pumped laser comprising: at least two elongated homogeneous bodies of an active laser host, the laser host bodies each having a longitudinal axis and at least two optically plane faces extending substantially parallel to ealh other and to the longitudinal axis, the laser host bodies being arranged in a spaced apart relationship such that their respective optically plane faces and longitudinal axes are generally parallel thereby to allow a fluid coolant to pass between the laser host bodies; ; -pumping means including at least two sources of electromagnetic radiation, one source each being disposed adjacent the outermost optically plane face of the respective laser host bodies such that radiation from the respective sources will impinge upon the respective optically plane faces and to enter the respective laser host bodies to excite atoms of the laser host bodies to a metastable state thereby producing population inversion therein; the laser host bodies being further arranged relative to one another such that at least a portion of the radition impinging upon and traversing each laser host body will impinge upon an optically plane face of and enter the other laser host body, the pumping means further including a reflector associated with each source for insuring that most of the radiation from the respective sources is directed at and impinges upon the laser host body associated therewith and further for reflecting back to the laser host body associated therewith radiation which has traversed and exited that laser host body; means for cooling the optically plane faces of the laser host bodies to approximately the same temperature, the cooling means including a plurality of nozzles for directing a fluid coolant in greater quantities across the outer facing, optically plane face of each laser host body than across the inner facing, adjoining optically plane faces of the respsective laser host bodies, whereby thermally induced bending of the laser host bodies is obviated.

Inventors: ROBBINS, ALEXANDER GEORGE
Applicants: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Application year: 1982
Main classification: H01S3
IPC codes: H01S3