Patent number: 5504767
Abstract: A solid state laser is provided having as the laser medium diamond and an optically active dopant element which is found to lase in the solid matrix. The dopant is preferably titanium, vanadium, chromium, iron, cobalt, nickel, zinc, zirconium, niobium, cadmium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold, mercury, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and uranium. Erbium is especially preferred. The laser medium is formed as dopants are added by ion implantation to a diamond crystal as the diamond is grown by chemical vapor deposition.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 17, 1995
Date of Patent:
April 2, 1996
Assignee:
SI Diamond Technology, Inc.
Inventors:
Keith D. Jamison, Howard K. Schmidt