Ipg Photonics Corporation

The Uab Research Foundation

University of Alabama

Federov, Vladimir

Mirov, Sergey

Moskalev, Igor

Igor Moskalev

Sergey Vasilyev

Valentin Gapontsev

Sergey B Mirov

Vladimir V Fedorov

Michael Mirov

Mikhail Mirov

Vladimir Federov

Sergey Mirov

A CW laser with a rotating ring gain element is disclosed. The ring is pumped at multiple locations and the laser generates a mid-IR output. Multiple pumped gain portions of the ring provide a power scaled output. The gain portions may be positioned in a single resonator cavity, in multiple resonator cavities, and in MOPA architectures with associated focusing, folding, and combining optical elements.

High power CW mid-IR laser

A Kerr Mode Locked ('KLM') laser is configured with a resonant cavity. The gain medium, selected from polycrystalline transition metal doped II-VI materials ('TM:II-VI), is cut at a normal angle of incidence and mounted in the resonant cavity so as to induce the KLM laser to emit a pulsed laser beam at a fundamental wavelength. The pulses of the emitted laser beam at the fundamental wavelength each vary within a 1.8-8 micron (&#x201c;&#x3bc;m') wavelength range, have a pulse duration equal to or longer than 30-35 femtosecond (&#x201c;fs&#x201d;) time range and an average output power within a mW to about 20 watts (&#x201c;W&#x201d;) power range. The disclosed resonant cavity is configured with a plurality of spaced apart reflectors, two of which flank and are spaced from the gain medium which is pumped to output a laser beam at a fundamental wavelength and its higher harmonic wavelengths. The gain medium is mounted on a translation mechanism operative to controllably displace the gain medium along a waist of the laser beam. The displacement of the gain medium causes redistribution of a laser power between a primary output at the fundamental wavelength and at least one secondary output at the higher harmonic wavelength.

Mid-IR Kerr lens mode locked laser with normal incidence mounting of polycrystalline TM:II-VI materials and method for controlling parameters of polycrystalline TM:II-VI Kerr lens mode locked laser

The present invention provides systems and methods for producing short laser pulses that are amplified and spectrally broadened in a bulk gain media. The bulk material, having laser gain and nonlinear properties, is concurrently exposed to an optical pump input and a seed input, the pump power being sufficient to amplify and spectrally broaden the seed pulse.

Sub-nanosecond broad spectrum generating laser system

Systems and methods for spectrally broadening seed pulses with a single pass laser amplifier are disclosed. A bulk TM:II-VI polycrystalline material with combined gain and nonlinear characteristic provides passive (cold) spectral broadening of high power seed pulses. Continuous pumping provides more significant spectral broadening. In particular, pulsed pumping of TM:II-VI polycrystalline material (e.g. Cr2+:ZnS, Cr2+:ZnSe, and Cr2+:CdSe) is shown to provide significant spectral broadening to the super continuum generation SCG level. Pulse picking, pump sources, master oscillators and various optical components are described.

Single pass laser amplifier with pulsed pumping

The present invention provides a rotating chalcogenide gain media ring to provide un-precedented power generation with minimal thermal lensing for CW lasing in the mid-IR spectrum.

An optical nose for detecting the presence of molecular contaminants in gaseous samples utilizes a tunable seed laser output in conjunction with a pulsed reference laser output to generate a mid-range IR laser output in the 2 to 20 micrometer range for use as a discriminating light source in a photo-acoustic gas analyzer.

Growing community of inventors

Birmingham, AL, United States of America

Igor Moskalev