Integrated Resonator Element for Laser Tilt Error Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ultra-short pulse laser systems face challenges in maintaining angle stability and robustness due to the thermal expansion differences between glass and metal materials, leading to tilt sensitivity and performance loss, especially in extended cavities with multiple mirror elements.
Innovation Solution
Combining at least two components with opposite tilt sensitivity in the laser resonator to form a common resonator element, where optical surfaces are rigidly connected and adjustable, allowing for mutual compensation of tilting errors, thereby reducing tilt sensitivity and enhancing stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If glass and metal materials are used together in mirror assemblies, then the laser resonator can be constructed with standard materials, but thermal expansion differences cause tilt sensitivity and performance loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines glass and metal components into a single integrated resonator element where the glass mirror substrate is directly coupled to the metal mounting structure. This merging eliminates the interface between different thermal expansion materials, preventing relative displacement and tilt errors while maintaining constructability with standard materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite resonator element comprising glass and metal materials in direct contact, forming a unified structure. The glass portion provides the mirror substrate while the metal portion provides the mounting structure, and their direct coupling creates a composite element that eliminates thermal expansion mismatch issues at interfaces.
2Volume of moving object
If multiple mirror elements are used in extended cavity designs, then compactness is achieved, but tilt sensitivity increases and requires higher precision mounting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple mirror elements and their mounting structures into single integrated resonator elements. By combining the mirror substrate with its mounting structure and coupling it directly to the resonator cavity, the patent reduces the number of separate components and interfaces, thereby maintaining compactness while reducing cumulative tilt sensitivity.
3Ease of manufacture
If mirrors are mounted on common base plates or rod systems, then assembly is simplified, but environmental influences cause deformation and misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the resonator into multiple independent resonator elements, each with its own integrated mirror and mounting structure. This segmentation isolates each element from environmental influences affecting the common base, preventing deformation-induced misalignment while maintaining assembly simplicity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the mirror substrate and mounting structure into a single integrated resonator element, eliminating the interface between separate mirror and base plate components. This merging prevents transmission of environmental deformations from the base to the mirror, reducing sensitivity to temperature and mechanical stress changes.
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 approach significantly reduces tilt sensitivity, ensuring long-term stability and robustness of the laser arrangement, minimizing the impact of external influences and material expansion differences, and maintaining beam attitude consistency.
Implementation Method 1
The optical surfaces of these components as transmission and/or reflection surfaces are rigidly connected to one another and jointly adjustable in the beam path so that, on tilting—each by itself—through an incorrect angle, they achieve substantially the same effect on the guidance of the beam path but with opposite sign, so that mutual compensation of tilting errors by at least 50%, in particular more than 75%, is possible.
Implementation Method 2
The optical surfaces of these components as transmission and/or reflection surfaces are rigidly connected to one another
Data Source
AI summary
In a laser arrangement comprising at least one laser medium for producing a laser emission, a laser resonator having a beam path with a length of at least 20 cm and with at least one end mirror, the beam path within the laser resonator is formed at least partly by free-beam optics. A resonator element arranged in the beam path has at least two optical surfaces as surfaces interacting with the radiation led via the beam path, these optical surfaces being rigidly connected to one another and being adjustable together in the beam path in such a way that, on tilting by an angle error, they achieve substantially the same effect on the guidance of the beam path but with opposite sign, so that mutual compensation of tilt errors takes place.