The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 29, 1994
Filed:
Sep. 08, 1992
David C Brown, Brackney, PA (US);
David P Benfey, Endicott, NY (US);
Other;
Abstract
The present invention features a slab laser apparatus having a stable/unstable resonator. The slab laser comprises a slab-shaped medium for producing a beam of coherent light. The slab-shaped medium is physically defined by an entrance end face; a rear, exiting end face; and two oppositely disposed and substantially parallel side faces. The respective end faces of the medium are disposed along an axis defining a 'p' plane; the side faces are disposed along an axis defining an plane. A light beam entering at the entrance end face of the slab-shaped medium along the 'p' plane axis reflects back and forth within the slab-shaped medium via total internal reflection, exiting at the rear end face. A stable optical cavity is defined for the 'p' plane, comprising a hemispherical, high reflector curvature having an finite radius of curvature, and a flat, partially reflecting, outcoupler. An unstable optical resonator is defined for the plane, which operates in a low order transverse mode. The resonator in the plane consists of a high reflector mirror, and a negative radius of curvature, partially reflective mirror. The partially-reflecting outcoupler is a substantially cylindrical optical component onto which has been coated a variable reflectivity mirror (VRM) profile. The transmission of this mirror surface varies in the transverse direction. The optical component is flat in the 'p' plane and cylindrical in the 's' plane. The VRM coating is disposed on the cylindrical face. The outside surface may be coated with an anti-reflective coating.