Steven Joseph Matthews

US Patent:

6967766, Nov 22, 2005

Filed:

Apr 29, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/425578

Inventors:

Robin A. Reeder - El Segundo CA, US
Steven C. Matthews - Pacific Palisades CA, US
Alexander A. Betin - Manhattan Beach CA, US

Assignee:

Raytheon Company - Waltham MA

International Classification:

H01S003/00
H01S003/16

US Classification:

359333, 372 41

Abstract:

A solid-state laser beam amplifier with integrated reflective surface. A rectangular slab gain medium receives a first portion of an input laser beam along a first zigzag reflection path within the slab. The gain medium also receives a second portion of the input laser beam that has been reflected from an integral reflective surface such that the two portions traverse the gain medium along complementary zigzag paths. The zigzag paths are defined by total internal reflection of the beam portions as they propagate through the gain medium slab. A similar reflective surface may be positioned relative to the exit end of the gain medium slab, which redirects all of the output beam portions in a parallel direction. The gain medium may be Ytterbium or neodymium doped yttrium aluminum garnet. The gain medium may be formed as a high aspect ratio rectangular slab and may be clad with sapphire.

US Patent:

7675958, Mar 9, 2010

Filed:

Aug 2, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/497824

Inventors:

Robert D. Stultz - Lakewood CA, US
Steven C. Matthews - Incline Village NV, US
Billie G. Hendry - Hawthorne CA, US

Assignee:

Raytheon Company - Waltham MA

International Classification:

H01S 3/08

US Classification:

372 92, 372 19

Abstract:

A lasing method including the steps of providing a laser resonator; utilizing birefringence compensation in said resonator whereby said resonator is induced to operate in a Laguerre-Gaussian higher order mode; and utilizing polarized outcoupling of lasing energy at said higher order mode from said resonator. In the illustrative application, the laser resonator is a high-power, solid-state laser resonator. In the specific embodiment, the inventive method further includes the step of changing an outcoupling preference for a non-degenerate high-order Laguerre-Gaussian mode. In one embodiment, the step of changing outcoupling preference includes the step of changing an outcoupling polarization. In another embodiment, the step of changing outcoupling preference includes the step of changing an orientation of a roof edge of a prism in the laser resonator. Lower order Laguerre modes are discouraged from appearing in an output of the resonator by adding loss at the center of the rod aperture of the resonator or detuning the orientation of a first or a second quarter-wave plate.

US Patent:

20040013151, Jan 22, 2004

Filed:

Jan 10, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/340878

Inventors:

David Sumida - Los Angeles CA, US
Hans Bruesselbach - Monte Nido CA, US
Steven Matthews - Pacific Palisades CA, US

International Classification:

H01S003/094
H01S003/042

US Classification:

372/072000, 372/036000

Abstract:

A solid state pump cavity comprising a laser rod encased by diffusion bonding inside an outer cladding. The outer cladding provides the ability to efficiently conduct heat away from the laser rod. The outer cladding is also configured to absorb spontaneous laser radiation that would otherwise be re-amplified by the laser rod. Diffusion bonding of the outer cladding to the laser rod forms a seamless optical boundary between the outer cladding and the laser rod. An alternative embodiment of the pump cavity comprises multiple segments of laser rod and outer cladding assemblies coupled together with undoped sections that are diffusion bonded to the ends of the laser rod and outer cladding assemblies.