Integrating Laser Diode Pumped Laser Apparatus

The present invention relates to diode pumped lasers and in particular to a diode pumped high power laser incorporating lenses disposed between the laser diodes and a laser rod, and including a diffused reflecting cavity pump to provide higher efficiency, reduced temperature sensitivity, and more uniform gain distribution.

Various arrangements and structures for increasing the efficiency of energy transfer from an array of laser diodes to a laser rod have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,296 to Scalise discloses a structure incorporating linear arrays of laser diodes which pump energy into a laser rod surrounded by a reflective enclosure. U.S. Pat. No. 3,684,980, to Kay teaches a structure which incorporates a linear array of laser diodes and a reflective pump cavity. Other patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,594,716 to Guch, Jr. teach laser structures adapted to dissipate the heat accumulated in the laser rod to reduce the detrimental effects of heat buildup in the apparatus.

In all of these prior art patents the broad objectives are to increase the pumping efficiency by increasing the amount of pumping energy which is transferred to the laser rod, and reducing thermal buildup to enable higher laser output energies. The need for even higher laser output energies and efficiency, compactness, and low failure rates, however, continues to create a need for improved laser structures.

Typically, in single pass pumping schemes, the laser diodes are required to radiate near the absorption peak in the rod to achieve efficient absorption. To accomplish wavelength control of the laser diode radiation, laser diodes with narrow radiation linewidths are typically chosen and their temperature is rigidly controlled by thermoelectric devices. Such temperature control is required since the temperature of the diodes directly affects the radiation wavelength. This greatly adds to the cost of laser diode pumping.

Operating the diode near the peak absorption wavelength of the lasing material and relying upon single pass absorption produces a strong ingredient in the stored energy which is not desirable.

Broadly, the present invention is a laser apparatus incorporating a laser rod having a longitudinal axis and side and end surfaces. A laser diode cavity encloses the side surfaces of the rod, and the cavity includes heat sink means contiguous with and surrounding the laser rod. Light pumping means comprising a laser diode array is disposed in a spaced relationship with respect to the axis of the rod. A cylindrical lens is disposed between the diode array and the rod. The lens has a focal length and is located to disperse light from the diode array onto the rod. A reflector surrounds the heat sink and is provided with at least one elongated aperture therethrough for passing light from the diode array and lens to the rod and interior of the reflecting cavity. The reflective surface reflects unabsorbed light transmitted through the rod that provides for multiple passes therethrough.

In a specific embodiment of the invention, the reflective surface is a light diffusing surface. In yet another specific embodiment of the invention, a Samarium glass filter is interposed between the laser diode array and the laser rod to suppress transverse parasitic lasing by absorbing the laser wavelength. The lens of the invention is formed in the surface of the Samarium glass filter. The heat sink means may comprise a sapphire envelope connected to the laser rod having a suitable conductive medium such as silicone gel, which is in turn coupled to thermally conductive members. The cooling means may alternately comprise a hollow cavity for passing an operatically transparent cooling fluid over the outer surface of the laser rod.

It is therefore an advantage of the invention to provide laser apparatus having improved energy transfer efficiency between laser pumping diodes and a laser rod. Still another advantage of the invention is to provide laser apparatus which incorporates a lens for spreading the light emitted from the pumping diodes throughout substantially the entire internal volume of the laser rod. Another advantage of the invention is to provide laser apparatus which incorporates a diffusing light reflecting cavity for effecting multiple passes of the pumping light through the laser rod. Yet another advantage of the invention is to provide laser apparatus having reduced sensitivity to the wavelength variations of the diode energy thermal properties and which reduces the thermal sensitivity of the pumping diodes to variations in operating temperatures.

The various features and advantages of the present invention may be more readily understood with reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of laser apparatus in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 taken along section line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an axial sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the invention incorporating fluid cooling of the laser rod; and

FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating the improved efficiency and thermal characteristics of the invention in comparison to conventional end pumped lasers.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show side and end views, respectively, of laser apparatus 10 in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The apparatus 10 comprises an elongated cylindrical laser rod 12, which may be comprised of neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd.sup.+3 YAG), for example. The laser rod 12 is disposed in a cavity 14 of a sapphire crystal 16. Preferably, the laser rod 12 is coated with a film of silicon gel (not shown) to provide improved thermal conductivity between the laser rod 12 and the sapphire crystal 16.

Lateral surfaces 40, 42 of the crystal 16 are bounded by a pair of thermally conductive support members 22, 24 made of any suitable material such as silver coated aluminum, for example. The lateral surfaces 40, 42 of the crystal 16 are ground with 220 size grit to provide light diffusion. The thermally conductive support members 22, 24 provide a heat sink for the laser rod 12. A pair of longitudinally extending recesses 26, 28 are formed in the inwardly disposed surfaces of the support members 22, 24, respectively. The recesses 26, 28 provide room for the placement of additional Samarium glass filters 34, 36. The inwardly disposed surfaces 18, 20 of the support members 22, 24 are coated with reflecting layers 32, 33 comprising silver, for example.

Upwardly and downwardly disposed surfaces of the crystal 16 (as viewed in the drawing) are bounded by a pair of Samarium glass filters 43, 45. The Samarium glass filters 43, 45 absorb the laser wavelength (1.06 .mu.m for Nd.sup.+3 YAG), and eliminate parasitic transverse lasing which in turn limits the level to which the Nd.sup.+3 YAG rod can be pumped. Outer surfaces of the filters 43, 45 are also provided with reflecting layers 50, 52, comprising silver, for example. Cylindrical lenses 54, 56 are formed in the filters 43, 45, respectively, the lenses 54, 56 also providing transparent apertures through the reflecting layers 50, 52. A second pair of Samarium glass filters 34, 36 are longitudinally disposed in the inwardly facing sidewalls of the support members. These filters 34, 36 provide the same filtering function as the first pair of filters 43, 45.

A pair of linear laser diode arrays 58, 60 are disposed to emit pumping energy as indicated by the dashed lines in FIG. 2. The positions of the arrays 58, 60, the curvature and spacing of the lenses 54, 56 relative to the axis of the laser rod 12 are selected such that the pumping energy emitted from the diode arrays 58, 60 enters the laser rod 12 at an angle to substantially encompass the diameter thereof. The support members 22, 24, filters 43, 45, laser rod 12 and crystal 16 are enclosed by means of a pair of caps 66, that are made of a suitable material such as silver, for example.

In operation, pumping energy from the diode arrays 58, 60 passes through the lenses 54, 56 which direct the energy throughout the laser rod 12, in such a way as to encompass the full diameter thereof. Energy not absorbed by the laser rod 12 on the first pass therethrough will be reflected by the reflecting layers 32, 33, 50, 52 and caused to again pass through the laser rod 12. Continuous reflection of unabsorbed energy ultimately results in substantially increased absorption of the pumping energy. Heat buildup within the laser rod 12 is substantially diminished by the thermal path provided by the silicon gel (not shown), sapphire crystal 16 and the heat sink members 22, 24. This substantially reduces thermal stresses and other detrimental thermal effects on the laser rod 12. The laser diode arrays 58, 60 typically include large thermally conductive support surfaces 78, 80 which also act as heat sinks that remove heat generated by the laser diodes.

It will further be appreciated that the reflecting surfaces 32, 33, 50, 52 reflect unabsorbed energy back into the laser rod 12 and disperse the reflected energy over a broader section of the laser rod 12 thereby further enhancing efficiency of the laser apparatus 10. The use of a cylindrical laser rod, for example, and the linear diode arrays 58, 60 enables utilization of large diode arrays 58, 60 thereby significantly increasing the amount of energy that can be focused onto the laser rod 12.

More particularly, radiation from the laser diode arrays 58, 60 is spread by the cylindrical lenses 54, 56 etched into the Samarium glass filters 43, 45 to fully encompass the laser rod 12. Radiation not absorbed by the rod 12 on the first pass is reflected by the reflecting layers 32, 33, 50, 52 disposed around the pump cavity. Only the cylindrical lenses 54, 56 are left free of silver to permit transmission of 800 nanometer laser diode pump light. The cooling of the rod 12 is provided by heat conduction through the thin layer of silicone gel, through the sapphire crystal 16 and to the thermally conductive support members 22, 24, acting as heat sinks. All heat sinks employed in the apparatus 10 may be water cooled in a conventional manner to further cool the laser apparatus 10. The Samarium glass filters 43, 45 absorb 1.06 micron radiation emanating from the rod 12 to suppress parasitic cross lasing. The sides of the sapphire crystal 16 are ground to produce diffusion of the pump light, since the particular cavity shape cannot produce diode pump light radiated in a proper specular direction.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown an alternative embodiment of laser apparatus 10a in accordance with the invention. The laser rod 12 is disposed concentrically within a cylindrical chamber 71. The chamber 71 has a diameter significantly larger than the diameter laser rod 12 and comprises a Samarium glass tube 70, for example. The chamber 71 permits the flow of cooling fluid (not shown) around the laser rod 12. The cooling fluid may be a suitable liquid or gas, such as water or hydrogen, or the like. The cylindrical lenses 54, 56 are formed in the Samarium glass tube 70. The linear laser diode arrays 58, 60 are disposed outwardly of the lenses 54, 56. Two diode arrays 58, 60 are shown in FIG. 3 for the purposes of illustration, but it is to be understood that many more arrays may be employed around the periphery of the Samarium glass tube 70 as is desired for a particular application. The elements of the laser apparatus 10a are spaced such that the lenses 54, 56 direct pumping energy from the arrays 58, 60 to substantially fill the entire volume of the laser rod 12. The outer surface of the Samarium glass tube 70 is coated with a reflecting and diffusing coating 74 such as barium sulfate which reflects diffusely, or silver which reflects specularly, for example. The Samarium glass tube 70 and reflecting diffusing coating 74 function as discussed above with respect to the laser apparatus 10.

In FIG. 4 there is shown a graph illustrating the relative efficiency and thermal sensitivity of the laser apparatus 10 of the invention shown by line 84, in comparison to the efficiency and diode temperature sensitivity of a conventional single-pass laser assembly, indicated by line 86. From the graph, it will be seen that using the laser apparatus of the present invention, the storage efficiency can be increased nearly 1.8 times over a single pass scheme, and that the efficiency of the laser diode arrays varies significantly less in response to variations to laser diode temperature.

From the above description it will be seen that the laser apparatus of the present invention provides a more uniform stored energy distribution within the laser rod, provides higher energy transfer efficiency and relaxes temperature control requirements for the diodes. In addition, the apparatus is relatively simple in structure and is durable.

It is to be understood that the above-described embodiment is merely illustrative of some of the many specific embodiments which represent applications of the principles of the present invention. Clearly, numerous and other arrangements can be readily devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the laser rod may be comprised of neodymium-doped yttrium lithium fluoride (Nd.sup.+3 YLF), which is optimally pumped with polarized light that is polarized transverse to the longitudinal axis of the rod. In this embodiment, the diodes comprising the diode arrays would be oriented orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the rod in order to provide light that is polarized as stated above. In addition, the disclosed embodiments show two diode arrays employed to pump the laser rod. It is to be understood that in some applications, one diode array may be required, and accordingly, only one lens and filter arrangement would be required.