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:
Apr. 11, 2000
Filed:
Feb. 26, 1998
Nikon Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
Laser systems, and optical elements for laser systems, are disclosed for providing a pumped laser light with improved output efficiency while having simple construction and simple alignment adjustment. A pump light flux from a diode pumping laser irradiates and thus pumps a solid-state laser crystal. The irradiation by the pump light flux is coaxial with an output laser beam produced by the laser crystal. The pump light flux is conducted by an optical element, preferably frustoconical in shape with an entrance face larger than an exit face, that functions as a light funnel. The entrance face is disposed proximal to the pumping laser 11, and the exit face is disposed proximally to the laser crystal 14. A portion of the pump light flux entering the entrance face passes through the optical element without being reflected by a side surface of the optical element. The remaining pump light flux reflects at least once by the side surface during passage through the optical element. The exit face has a shape corresponding to the desired laser mode shape of the output laser beam.