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:
Nov. 20, 2001
Filed:
Feb. 04, 1999
Frank E. Hanson, San Diego, CA (US);
Peter M. Poirier, San Diego, CA (US);
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
A Q-switched neodymium laser may be operated in the 0.9 &mgr;m [( &lgr;,)] band at relatively high gain levels. The laser uses a birefringent filter which provides selective discrimination for wavelengths near 1 &mgr;m [(&lgr;,)] and prevents parasitic lasing in that wavelength region. The filter includes a specific wavelength dependent crystal quartz wave plate in combination with a linear polarizer. The linear polarizer is placed between two mirrors which define a laser cavity. The wave plate provides exactly 2 full waves of retardation at the desired wavelength &lgr;,in the 0.9 &mgr;m band, and exactly 1.75 waves of retardation at wavelength &lgr;,near the center of the 1 &mgr;m band for one pass. A Q-switching device such as a Pockels cell is positioned in the laser cavity to selectively control a pulsed emission at &lgr;,.