Solid-State Laser General

[H2Oxide]

This thread is for the discussion of all things related to solid-state lasers.


Solid State lasers are a class of laser utilizing paramagnetic ions, color centers, and organic dye molecules suspended within solid amorphous or crystalline materials as gain media. Although semiconductor lasers are technically solid-state, for the sake of simplicity, only the applications of said lasers in terms of DPSS technology should be discussed, though nonlinear optics and optical materials have enough connection to solid-state lasers to warrant discussion here.

Topics such as pumping methods, gain media, resonator design, etc. are all welcome.

Useful links will be included in this OP, which will be updated periodically. If you have something that you think would be a useful addition, don't hesitate to suggest it.

Links

Solid-state laser (Wikipedia)

Diode-pumped Lasers, Solid-state Lasers (RP Photonics)

Solid State Lasers (Sam's Laser FAQ)

Solid-State Lasers: A Graduate Text (Springer)

 

[Alaskan]

What do you think of using parts out of this laser to make 589 nm yellow? Maybe I can find a way to use the diode pumped 1064 and 1319 nm YAG's out of this by adding custom OC optics and combining their outputs into a crystal:

 

[paul1598419]

I need to go back and look some things up before I add my 2 cents on this. I'm wondering if you could use what you have here in its positions on the optical bench to do it without having to start from scratch.

 

[Alaskan]

Maybe just use this as is by changing out the OC mirrors and bypassing the L into the KTP crystals, of course. Shooting both 1319 and 1064 nm outputs all the way out so they combine into one beam using the existing turning mirror mounts and beam adjustment windows, then into a NL crystal to make yellow? Edit: Geometries wrong.... Need to think about this more, but with some repositioning might be a viable method. Any other ideas?

 

[CurtisOliver]

It would be a bit more of a challenge than just using them in their current positions by the looks of the optical layout. But using the two YAG's to produce the lines is the best option for the power output. I'll go away and give it some thought for you Alaskan. With a lot of work however, it may be possible to keep the 1064/1319 cavities where they are. But without knowing more about the spread on the beams (converging, diverging or parallel) it is difficult to say whether my immediate plan will work.

Anyway, good idea for a thread H2Oxide. Subscribed as this could turn out to be a very interesting and informative thread. :beer:

 

[diachi]

What do you think of using parts out of this laser to make 589 nm yellow? Maybe I can find a way to use the diode pumped 1064 and 1319 nm YAG's out of this by adding custom OC optics and combining their outputs into a crystal:

You're not going to see a ton of output, if any, with a simple extra-cavity doubler. You need the doubler to be intra-cavity, where the higher circulating power allows for higher conversion efficiency. Q-switching both independently for higher power at the doubler xtal isn't going to be an option, unless you can get the pulses perfectly synced up, but even then I suspect you'd have issues.

It can be done, but it's not quite so simple.

 

[CurtisOliver]

Is it possible that he could see a reasonable output from a single pass Diachi?

 

[Alaskan]

I've been thinking about the Q-Switch problem too, gears still turning.

 

[H2Oxide]

You can have two crystals lasing in the same cavity:

Probably the easiest way to do it IMO, especially if you already have the optics. You don't have to worry about balancing wavelengths as you would with one xtal, and you can still get the intracavity flux for SFG.

 

[diachi]

Is it possible that he could see a reasonable output from a single pass Diachi?

It's possible, but is it affordable/achievable for a hobbyist? That's an entirely different question...

Seen some research papers indicate they've achieved conversion efficiencies of 40% using PPLN waveguides ... but that's the sort of thing that's "Contact us for a quote" prices.

Efficient 494-mW Sum-frequency Generation of 589-nm Light by Using a Periodically Poled LiNbO3 Ridge Waveguide

I've seen other papers suggesting other ways of doing things, but none are much simpler/cheaper.


Single-pass sum-frequency-generation of 589-nm yellow light based on dual-wavelength Nd:YAG laser with periodically-poled LiTaO3 Crystal

20W of continuous-wave sodium D2 resonance radiation from sum-frequency generation with injection-locked lasers

Sum-frequency generation of 589 nm light with near-unit efficiency

Continuous-wave, all-solid-state, single-frequency400-mW source at 589 nm based on doubly resonant sum-frequency mixing in a monolithic lithium niobate resonator

^^Don't imagine that was a cheap chunk of LBO...


Sorry for the terrible formatting...

You can have two crystals lasing in the same cavity:



Probably the easiest way to do it IMO, especially if you already have the optics. You don't have to worry about balancing wavelengths as you would with one xtal, and you can still get the intracavity flux for SFG.

That'd be the way to go, although it'd require modification of your existing setup. Intracavity doubling is ideal. Alignment might be fun with that.

 

[paul1598419]

Diachi, the first and third links are not active. Still going through the other papers. A good read. I imagine that LBO crystal, cut the way it was, cost more than the rest of the setup combined. But, then again, I might be hyperbolizing here.

 

[diachi]

Diachi, the first and third links are not active. Still going through the other papers. A good read.

Should all be working now. :beer:

 

[CurtisOliver]

Thanks Diachi. I'll take a read of those later. :beer:

H2Oxide, that layout looks good. Nice job!

 

[Alaskan]

Nice work, thanks for the links guys. My hobby budget is fairly high, I don't mind spending $$$ on 589 nm, if I can get 1 watt. Don't want to spend 4K for 500 mw, that is too much, for 1 watt maybe but I probably am unrealistic in my wants for the money it would cost. Probably need to settle for a couple hundred milliwatts or so for less cost.

 

[CurtisOliver]

I think the best approach is to aim high but expect low. That way you won't be too disappointed with your output.

 

[paul1598419]

H2Oxide, I believe the combination of two Nd:YAG lines at 1064nm and 1319nm will not be nearly as straight forward as your diagram suggests. Spent a lot of time researching it, and the polarity as well as the angles of the two beams will need to be very carefully fine tuned to get a reasonable efficiency.