Optical Crystal Resonator Coating for Shorter, Lower-Loss Lasers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laser devices configured with optical crystals between mirror devices face manufacturing challenges, energy losses, and unnecessary length, due to the low tolerance of thin film coatings for deposition errors and roughness, leading to inefficient energy use and increased resource consumption.
Innovation Solution
The use of an optical crystal as a resonator in a laser device, with thin film coatings at one or more ends, allows for internal reflection and emission of electromagnetic waves, reducing the need for mirror devices with thin film coatings and minimizing energy losses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mirror devices with thin film coatings are used in laser devices, then electromagnetic waves can be reflected, but manufacturing precision requirements increase due to low tolerance for deposition errors and roughness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the thin film coating from the mirror device and applies it only to the optical crystal surfaces. This eliminates the need for separate mirror devices with their own thin film coatings, thereby reducing the cumulative manufacturing precision requirements while maintaining the necessary reflection performance through internal reflection within the crystal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of the mirror device and the optical crystal by making the optical crystal itself serve as the reflecting element through internal reflection. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate mirror components and their associated thin film coatings, reducing manufacturing complexity and precision requirements.
2Reliability
If mirror devices with thin film coatings are used in laser devices, then electromagnetic wave reflection is achieved, but device length increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the optical crystal and mirror functions into a single integrated component. The optical crystal performs both its primary function of generating electromagnetic waves and the secondary function of reflecting waves through internal reflection, eliminating the need for separate mirror devices and thereby reducing the overall cavity length.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes the separate mirror devices from the laser cavity configuration and replaces them with internal reflection mechanisms within the optical crystal itself. This extraction of the mirror function reduces the physical space required for the cavity while maintaining necessary reflection performance.
3Reliability
If thin film coatings are used on mirror devices, then electromagnetic wave reflection is enabled, but energy losses occur due to scattering and particle collisions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potential harm of thin film coating imperfections (which cause scattering and energy loss) into a benefit by using internal reflection within the optical crystal. The crystal's inherent optical properties enable reflection without the need for additional thin film coatings, thereby eliminating the source of scattering-related energy losses while maintaining reflection performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration improves energy efficiency by reducing energy losses from particle collisions and scattering, decreases manufacturing costs and time, and reduces the cavity length, thereby conserving space and resources.
Implementation Method 1
an optical crystal in a second portion of the laser device, the optical crystal configured to receive the first electromagnetic waves and to emit second electromagnetic waves having a second wavelength based on reception of the first electromagnetic waves
Implementation Method 2
the thin film coating configured to: support emission of the second electromagnetic waves from the optical crystal, and support internal reflection of the first electromagnetic waves within the optical crystal
Data Source
AI summary
Some implementations described herein provide a laser device. The laser device includes a first portion of the laser device, at a proximal end of the laser device, that includes one or more optical devices, where the first portion is configured to emit first electromagnetic waves having a first wavelength. The laser device includes a second portion of the laser device, at a distal end of the laser device, that includes an optical crystal configured to receive the first electromagnetic waves and to emit second electromagnetic waves having a second wavelength based on reception of the first electromagnetic waves, where the optical crystal includes a thin film coating disposed on an end of the optical crystal, the thin film coating configured to: support emission of the second electromagnetic waves from the optical crystal, and support internal reflection of the first electromagnetic waves within the optical crystal.