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:
Jun. 14, 1994
Filed:
May. 17, 1993
Raymond G Beausoleil, Redmond, WA (US);
Cygnus Laser Corporation, Duvall, WA (US);
Abstract
A method for efficiently controlling sum frequency mixing and second harmonic generation within Q-switched laser oscillators. A nonlinear crystal is placed at either the intersection point of two otherwise independent laser oscillators (in the case of sum frequency mixing) or within a single laser resonator (in the case of second harmonic generator). During the build-up phase of the oscillator temporal development. (i.e., after the Q-switch has been opened but before the laser has reached threshold), a nonlinear optical crystal controlled by high voltage is employed to significantly reduce the efficiency of the frequency conversion process. In a preferred embodiment, the nonlinear optical crystal reduces the efficiency of the birefringent nonlinear optical process by spoiling the dephasing of the multi-wave interaction. After threshold has been reached in the resonant cavity, the conversion efficiency is increased at some desired rate. As a result, the extracted light at the converted frequency has one or more of a number of desirable properties, including: increased net conversion efficiency; reduced pulse-to-pulse temporal fluctuations (jitter); and/or a controlled temporal shape.