A laser output device in which a crystal is uniformly heated

Abstract

The application relates to a laser output device with uniformly heated crystal, which comprises a columnar body with a specific distance along an optical path and surrounded by an outer wall, a light inlet arranged at a first end of the body, a light outlet arranged at a second end of the body, a laser resonant cavity arranged between the light inlet and the light outlet, a crystal arranged in the laser resonant cavity, a heating element arranged between the outer wall and the resonant cavity, the heating element being parallel to the optical path and being uniformly distributed between the outer wall and the resonant cavity in a circumferential direction, an air inlet arranged at the first end of the body, an air outlet arranged at the second end of the body, and an air flow channel arranged in the body, the air flow channel being located at the front end of the crystal, gas flowing into the air flow channel from the air inlet, uniformly distributed in the air flow channel, and then flowing through the crystal in the resonant cavity, and finally discharged from the air outlet. The device synchronously preheats the crystal and the air flow channel through the heating element, the gas uniformly distributed in the air flow channel forms an airflow with consistent temperature field, the crystal is uniformly heated, local overheating of the crystal is avoided, and the stability of the laser output device is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of laser technology, and more specifically, to a laser output device with uniformly heated crystals. Background Technology

[0002] In traditional laser crystal heating devices, it is usually impossible to ensure that the crystal is heated uniformly, which leads to an uneven temperature field during use. In severe cases, the local temperature of the crystal may rise abnormally. This will not only accelerate the aging of the crystal, but may also cause the crystal to break. Such situations will inevitably damage the stability of the overall laser system and shorten its service life. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Based on this, and in response to the above problems, the present invention provides a laser output device with uniformly heated crystal, which greatly improves the uniformity of crystal heating, ensures the stability of the laser system, and extends the service life of the laser system.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a laser output device with uniformly heated crystal, comprising a columnar body extending a specific distance along the optical path and enclosed by an outer wall. A light inlet is provided at the first end of the body, and a light outlet is provided at the second end. A laser resonant cavity is provided between the light inlet and the light outlet, and a crystal is disposed within the laser resonant cavity. A heating element is also provided between the outer wall and the resonant cavity, the heating element being parallel to the optical path and uniformly distributed circumferentially between the outer wall and the resonant cavity. An air inlet is provided at the first end of the body, and an air outlet is provided at the second end. An air inlet channel is also provided inside the body, located at the front end of the crystal. The gas first flows into the air inlet channel from the air inlet, is homogenized by the air inlet channel, flows through the crystal in the resonant cavity, and finally exits from the air outlet.

[0005] In one specific embodiment, the air intake channel includes a cascaded first air intake chamber and a second air intake chamber. The first end of the first air intake chamber is connected to the air inlet, and the second end of the first air intake chamber is connected to the first end of the second air intake chamber through a first air intake hole. The second end of the second air intake chamber outputs gas toward the crystal through a second air intake hole.

[0006] In one specific embodiment, the air intake channel further includes a third air intake chamber cascaded with the second air intake chamber. The first end of the third air intake chamber is connected to the second end of the second air intake chamber through a second air intake hole, and the second end of the third air intake chamber transmits gas toward the crystal through the third air intake hole.

[0007] In one specific embodiment, the first air intake cavity, the second air intake cavity, and the third air intake cavity are all hollow annular cylinders, wherein the volume of the first air intake cavity is less than the volume of the second air intake cavity and the volume of the third air intake cavity, and the diameter of the first air intake hole is less than the diameter of the second air intake hole and the diameter of the third air intake hole.

[0008] In one specific embodiment, the back end of the crystal is further provided with an air outlet channel, which is connected to the air outlet.

[0009] In one specific embodiment, the gas outlet channel includes a cascaded first gas outlet cavity and a second gas outlet cavity. The first end of the first gas outlet cavity is connected to the back end of the crystal through a first gas outlet hole. The second end of the first gas outlet cavity is connected to the first end of the second gas outlet cavity through a second gas outlet hole. The second end of the second gas outlet cavity is connected to the gas outlet.

[0010] In one specific embodiment, both the first air outlet cavity and the second air outlet cavity are hollow annular cylinders, wherein the volume of the first air outlet cavity is less than the volume of the second air outlet cavity, and the diameter of the first air outlet orifice is less than the diameter of the air outlet.

[0011] In one specific embodiment, the coverage length of the heating element along the optical path direction is greater than or equal to the sum of the axial length of the air intake channel and the axial length of the crystal.

[0012] In one specific embodiment, the gas is at least one inert gas selected from argon, helium, nitrogen, krypton, or xenon, and its purity is not less than 99.99%.

[0013] In one specific embodiment, lenses are respectively provided at the light inlet and the light outlet.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0015] This invention provides a laser output device with uniformly heated crystal. The heating element surrounds the crystal and the inlet gas channel in the center. The crystal and the inlet gas channel are heated simultaneously. Gas flows into the inlet gas channel from the gas inlet. Under the action of the heating element, the gas is heated and homogenized by the inlet gas channel to form a gas flow with a uniform temperature distribution before flowing through the crystal and then being discharged from the gas outlet. The homogenization of the gas by the inlet gas channel can greatly balance the internal temperature of the device, so that the crystal is heated uniformly. This avoids local overheating of the crystal during the heating process and damage to the crystal, significantly improving the stability of the laser output device, effectively ensuring the laser transmission efficiency, and extending the life of the laser output device. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a laser output device with uniformly heated crystal in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of a laser output device with uniformly heated crystal in one embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0018] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0019] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0020] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0021] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be practiced in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0022] like Figures 1-2As shown, this embodiment provides a laser output device with uniformly heated crystal, including a columnar body 10 extending a specific distance along the optical path, enclosed by an outer wall 1. The body 10 has a light inlet 101 at its first end and a light outlet 102 at its second end. A laser resonant cavity 20 is disposed between the light inlet 101 and the light outlet 102. A crystal 30 is disposed within the laser resonant cavity 20. A heating element 40 is also disposed between the outer wall 1 and the resonant cavity 20, and the heating element 40 is parallel to the optical path and circumferentially... The air inlet 103 and the outlet 104 are uniformly distributed between the outer wall 1 and the resonant cavity 20. An air inlet 105 is provided at the first end of the body 10 and at the second end. An air inlet channel 105 is also provided inside the body 10. The air inlet channel 105 is located at the front end of the crystal 30 and is used to homogenize the gas entering it. The gas first flows into the air inlet channel 105 from the air inlet 103, and after being homogenized by the air inlet channel 105, it flows through the crystal 30 in the resonant cavity 20 and finally exits from the outlet 104. This embodiment provides a laser output device with uniformly heated crystal. The heating element 40 surrounds the crystal 30 and the air inlet channel 105 in the center. The crystal 30 and the air inlet channel 105 are heated synchronously. Gas flows into the air inlet channel 105 from the air inlet 103. Under the action of the heating element 40, the gas is heated and homogenized by the air inlet channel 105 to form an airflow with a uniform temperature distribution before flowing through the crystal 30 and then being discharged from the air outlet 104. The gas homogenization by the air inlet channel 105 can greatly balance the temperature inside the body 10, so that the crystal 30 is heated uniformly. This avoids local overheating of the crystal 30 during the heating process, which may damage the crystal 30. This significantly improves the stability of the laser output device, effectively ensures the laser transmission efficiency, and extends the life of the laser output device. The laser output device with uniformly heated crystal provided in this embodiment has a simple structure, requires little modification to the original components of the laser output device, is easy to assemble, does not require complex manufacturing processes, and has the advantages of low cost and high efficiency. Preferably, the heating element 40 is a heating wire, and the crystal is a laser gain medium crystal, including any one of neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) crystal; ytterbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Yb:YAG) crystal; titanium-doped sapphire (Ti:Sapphire) crystal; and erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) crystal.

[0023] Table 1 shows the temperature test results at ten temperature test points of the crystal under the gas heating homogenization + crystal heating method and the crystal heating alone method without gas homogenization in this embodiment:

[0024]

[0025] Table 1 Comparison of test point stability under single crystal heating and gas heating homogenization + crystal heating in this embodiment.

[0026] As can be seen from Table 1, the temperature uniformity of the crystal is significantly improved after using the laser output device with uniform crystal heating in this embodiment.

[0027] In one specific embodiment, the air intake channel 105 includes a cascaded first air intake cavity 1051 and a second air intake cavity 1052, wherein a first end of the first air intake cavity 1051 is connected to the air intake port 103, and the first air intake cavity 1051 and the second air intake cavity 1052 are coaxially arranged hollow annular cylinders. The first air intake cavity 1051 includes a plurality of first air intake holes 100 located on the side of the first air intake cavity 1051 near the axis. The axis is coaxial with the optical path direction. Preferably, the plurality of first air intake holes 100... A circumferential array of 00 is distributed on the side of the first air intake cavity 1051 near the axis. The second air intake cavity 1052 at least partially covers the first air intake cavity 1051 in the radial direction, and the coverage area at least includes the first air intake hole 100. The second end of the first air intake cavity 1051 is connected to the first end of the second air intake cavity 1052 through the first air intake hole 100. The second end of the second air intake cavity 1052 outputs gas to the crystal 30 through the second air intake hole 200. The second end of the second air intake cavity 1052 refers to... At the end furthest from the first air inlet cavity 1051, this embodiment provides a laser output device with uniformly heated crystal. The gas enters the first air inlet cavity 1051 through the air inlet 103. Due to the sudden increase in the cross-sectional area of ​​the first cavity, the gas flow velocity decreases and diffuses, achieving primary homogenization. The gas, after primary homogenization, enters the second air inlet cavity through the first air inlet hole 100, undergoing secondary homogenization before flowing through the crystal 30. The homogenized gas has a uniform temperature field, ensuring uniform heating of the crystal 30. The gas homogenization principle is as follows: the volume of the air inlet 103 and the first air inlet hole 1051... The volume of the first air inlet cavity 1051 is relatively small, while the volume of the second air inlet cavity 1052 is relatively large. Gas enters from the smaller space into the larger space, and after sufficient diffusion in the larger space, it flows downstream. At the same time, the heating element 40 heats the two-stage air inlet cavities simultaneously. The gas is uniformly preheated during the diffusion process, forming an airflow with a temperature distribution uniformity of more than 95%. The gas homogenized by the two stages flows through the surface of the crystal 30, eliminating the circumferential thermal gradient of the crystal (measured temperature difference ≤1℃), avoiding local overheating damage to the crystal, ensuring the stability of the laser output device, and improving the laser transmission efficiency.

[0028] In one specific embodiment, the air intake channel 105 further includes a third air intake cavity 1053 cascaded with the second air intake cavity 1052. The first end of the third air intake cavity 1053 is connected to the second end of the second air intake cavity 1052 through a second air intake hole 200. The second end of the third air intake cavity 1053 transmits gas towards the crystal 30 through the third air intake hole 300. The third air intake cavity 1053 is a hollow annular cylinder coaxially and parallel to the second air intake cavity 1052. The third air intake cavity 1053 is located inside the second air intake cavity 1052, meaning the outer diameter of the third air intake cavity 1053 is smaller than the inner diameter of the second air intake cavity 1052. In other words, the outer wall of the third air intake cavity 1053 is located within the inner wall of the second air intake cavity 1052. Within the annular space, the gas flows through the second intake cavity 1052 and the third intake cavity 1053 in a meandering manner. The laser output device with uniformly heated crystal provided in this embodiment shortens the axial length of the flow channel through the coaxial nested intake cavity structure, resulting in a compact structure and high space utilization. Furthermore, the gas enters the third intake cavity 1053 from the second intake cavity 1052 through the second intake orifice 200, undergoes three-stage homogenization, and then flows through the crystal 30. The homogenized gas temperature field further increases the uniformity, ensuring uniform heating of the crystal 30. The intake orifice throttles the flow, the large intake cavity promotes gas diffusion and mixing, and the three-stage cascaded cavity structure extends the gas residence time, fully realizing gas temperature homogenization.

[0029] In one specific embodiment, the first air intake cavity 1051, the second air intake cavity 1052, and the third air intake cavity 1053 are all hollow annular cylinders. The first air intake cavity 1051, the second air intake cavity 1052, and the third air intake cavity 1053 are coaxially arranged. The volume of the first air intake cavity 1051 is less than the volume of the second air intake cavity 1052, which is less than the volume of the third air intake cavity 1053. The diameter of the first air intake hole is less than the diameter of the second air intake hole, which is less than the diameter of the third air intake hole. The gas flows from the small-volume air intake cavity to the large-volume air intake cavity, and from the small-diameter air intake hole to the large-diameter air intake hole. The flow rate is slower, which makes it easier for the heating gas to be blown out evenly, ensuring that the crystal is heated evenly.

[0030] In one specific embodiment, the rear end of the crystal 30 is further provided with an outlet gas channel 106, which is connected to the outlet 104. The homogenized gas is discharged from the rear end of the crystal 30 through the outlet and out of the body 10.

[0031] In one specific embodiment, the air outlet channel 106 includes a cascaded first air outlet cavity 1061 and a second air outlet cavity 1062. The first end of the first air outlet cavity 1061 is connected to the rear end of the crystal 30 through a first air outlet hole 400. The second end of the first air outlet cavity 1061 communicates with the first end of the second air outlet cavity 1062 through a second air outlet hole 500. The first air outlet cavity 1061 and the second air outlet cavity 1062 are coaxially arranged hollow annular cylinders. The second air outlet hole 500 is connected to the first end of the second air outlet cavity 1062. The two exhaust cavities 1062 are connected on the side near the axis, which is coaxial with the optical path. Preferably, the second exhaust orifice 500 is axially distributed at the second end of the first exhaust cavity 1061. The first exhaust cavity 1061 at least partially covers the second exhaust cavity 1062 in the radial direction, and the coverage area includes at least the second exhaust orifice 500. The second end of the second exhaust cavity 1062 is connected to the exhaust port 104. The gas is throttled and depressurized step by step through the two exhaust cavities to achieve uniform gas discharge from the resonant cavity to the outside. Both the first exhaust cavity 1061 and the second exhaust cavity 1062 are hollow annular cylinders, wherein the volume of the first exhaust cavity is less than the volume of the second exhaust cavity, and the diameter of the first exhaust orifice is less than the diameter of the exhaust port.

[0032] In one specific embodiment, the coverage length of the heating element 40 along the optical path direction is greater than or equal to the sum of the axial length of the air intake channel 105 and the axial length of the crystal 30. The heating element 40 can be an integral structure or a split structure. The split structure consists of multiple separate heating elements respectively disposed on the outside of the first air intake cavity 1051, the second air intake cavity 1052, the third air intake cavity 1053 and the crystal 30. This embodiment provides a laser output device with uniform crystal heating. The heating element 40 simultaneously supplies heat to the air intake channel 105 and the crystal 30, ensuring that the airflow temperature and the crystal thermal balance. After the gas is homogenized by the air intake channel 105, it ensures that the crystal is uniformly heated, avoiding local temperature unevenness in the crystal 30 during the heating process, which causes the crystal 30 to crack. This significantly improves the stability of the laser output device, effectively ensures the laser transmission efficiency, and extends the life of the crystal and the laser output device.

[0033] In one specific embodiment, the gas is at least one inert gas selected from argon, helium, nitrogen, krypton, or xenon, and its purity is not less than 99.99%.

[0034] In one specific embodiment, a lens 50 is provided at the light inlet 101 and the light outlet 102 respectively, forming a sealed laser and gas channel inside the body 10.

[0035] In one specific embodiment, a temperature sensor 60 is also provided below the crystal 30 for monitoring the real-time temperature of the crystal 30.

[0036] It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, it is obvious that the present invention is not limited to the details of the above exemplary embodiments, and that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered exemplary and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention, and no reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0037] Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this invention. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the ideas of this invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

Claims

1. A laser output device with uniformly heated crystal, characterized in that: The device includes a columnar body extending along the optical path, enclosed by an outer wall. A light inlet is provided at the first end of the body, and a light outlet is provided at the second end. A laser resonant cavity is provided between the light inlet and the light outlet, and a crystal is provided inside the laser resonant cavity. A heating element is also provided between the outer wall and the resonant cavity. The heating element is parallel to the optical path and is evenly distributed circumferentially between the outer wall and the resonant cavity. An air inlet is provided at the first end of the body, and an air outlet is provided at the second end. An air inlet channel is also provided inside the body, and the air inlet channel is located at the front end of the crystal. The air intake channel includes a cascaded first air intake cavity and a second air intake cavity. The first end of the first air intake cavity is connected to the air inlet, and the second end of the first air intake cavity is connected to the first end of the second air intake cavity through a first air intake hole. The air intake channel also includes a cascaded third air intake cavity connected to the second air intake cavity. The first end of the third air intake cavity is connected to the second end of the second air intake cavity through a second air intake hole, and the second end of the third air intake cavity transmits gas towards the crystal through a third air intake hole. The first air intake cavity, the second air intake cavity, and the third air intake cavity are coaxially nested hollow annular cylinders. The outer wall of the third air intake cavity is located within the annular space formed by the inner wall of the second air intake cavity. The gas passes through the second air intake cavity and the third air intake cavity in sequence, meandering around them. The volume of the first air intake cavity is less than the volume of the second air intake cavity, which is less than the volume of the third air intake cavity. The diameter of the first air intake hole is less than the diameter of the second air intake hole, which is less than the diameter of the third air intake hole. The heating element has a coverage length along the optical path that is greater than or equal to the sum of the axial length of the air intake channel and the axial length of the crystal. The gas flows into the air intake channel from the air inlet and is simultaneously heated and homogenized by the heating element as it flows through the first air intake cavity, the second air intake cavity, and the third air intake cavity, forming an airflow with a uniform temperature distribution. The gas then flows through the crystal and is finally discharged from the air outlet.

2. The laser output device with uniformly heated crystal according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rear end of the crystal is also provided with an air outlet channel, which is connected to the air outlet.

3. The laser output device with uniformly heated crystal according to claim 2, characterized in that: The air outlet channel includes a cascaded first air outlet cavity and a second air outlet cavity. The first end of the first air outlet cavity is connected to the back end of the crystal through a first air outlet hole. The second end of the first air outlet cavity is connected to the first end of the second air outlet cavity through a second air outlet hole. The second end of the second air outlet cavity is connected to the air outlet.

4. The laser output device with uniformly heated crystal according to claim 3, characterized in that: Both the first and second air outlet chambers are hollow annular cylinders, wherein the volume of the first air outlet chamber is less than the volume of the second air outlet chamber, and the diameter of the first air outlet orifice is less than the diameter of the air outlet.

5. The laser output device with uniformly heated crystal according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gas is at least one inert gas selected from argon, helium, nitrogen, krypton or xenon, and its purity is not less than 99.99%.

6. The laser output device with uniformly heated crystal according to claim 1, characterized in that: Lenses are installed at the light inlet and light outlet respectively.

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