Abstract: A vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) and a method of forming the VECSEL is disclosed. The VECSEL includes a heat sink; a heat spreader or heat spreader formed on a top surface of the heat sink, where the heat spreader comprises a first material having a first refractive index; and a high contrast grating formed on a top surface of the heat spreader or active region, wherein the high contrast grating comprises an active region and the high contrast grating comprising a second material having a second refractive index, the second refractive index is greater than the first refractive index.

Abstract: A system, device, and method for laser cooling rare earth doped silica glass using anti-Stokes fluorescence is disclosed. The system includes a rare earth doped and codoped with one or more codopants silica glass; a laser that provides radiation to a first surface and through a body of the rare earth doped silica glass, wherein the laser is tuned from a first wavelength to a second wavelength; and a thermally sensitive device that captures images of the rare earth doped silica glass as the laser is tuned and determines a third wavelength between the first wavelength and the second wavelength where the rare earth doped silica glass is maximumly or near maximumly cooled.

Abstract: A laser beam circulator includes a first mirror and a second mirror. The first and second mirrors are symmetric with respect to an axis therebetween. The circulator also includes a sample that is substantially planar. The axis extends through the sample. The sample is oriented at an angle with respect to a plane that is perpendicular to the axis. The angle is from about 0.1° to about 10°. The circulator also includes a laser configured to emit a laser beam that circulates multiple times from the second mirror to the sample to the first mirror and back to the second mirror. The laser beam passes through the sample during each circulation. The sample absorbs a portion of the laser beam each time the laser beam passes through the sample.

Abstract: A vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) and a method of forming the VECSEL is disclosed. The VECSEL includes a heat sink; a heat spreader or heat spreader formed on a top surface of the heat sink, where the heat spreader comprises a first material having a first refractive index; and a high contrast grating formed on a top surface of the heat spreader or active region, wherein the high contrast grating comprises an active region and the high contrast grating comprising a second material having a second refractive index, the second refractive index is greater than the first refractive index.

Abstract: An optical refrigeration system that includes a heatlink that is formed by textured crystals that are matched in coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) to the yttrium lithium fluoride (YLF) cooling crystal, and shaped in geometries that result in very low heat producing losses (HPL). The optical refrigeration system may further include a mirror that is made of a semiconductor-material.

Abstract: A method and device for cooling electronics is disclosed. The device includes a doped crystal configured to resonate at a Stark manifold resonance capable of cooling the crystal to a temperature of from about 110K to about 170K. The crystal host resonates in response to input from an excitation laser tuned to exploit the Stark manifold resonance corresponding to the cooling of the crystal.

Abstract: Provided is a method and system for stabilizing a property of a first laser beam from a first laser in a vibration-free and cryogen free-manner. The method can include optically cooling a ytterbium-doped yttrium lithium fluoride (Yb:YLF) crystal using a second laser beam; coupling the crystal to a thermal coupling, wherein the thermal coupling is further coupled to a reference cavity to maintain a temperate of the reference cavity; directing a portion of the first laser beam through the reference cavity onto a photodetector to measure the property of the first laser beam; and stabilizing the first laser beam using a feedback control mechanism using the photodetector.

Abstract: A device and corresponding method for cooling electronics is disclosed. The device is an all-solid-state optical cryocooler and can include an optically pumped semiconductor laser (OPSL); a cavity configured to receive and control absorption of the optically pumped semiconductor laser, the cavity having a high reflection (HR) surface and an anti-reflection (AR) surface; and a doped crystal housed within the cavity, the doped crystal configured to cool in response to input of the optically pumped semiconductor laser. The method can include supplying an intracavity optically pumped semiconductor lasers to a doped crystal within a cavity; and configuring the cavity to include a high reflection (HR) surface and an anti-reflection (AR) surface, the HR surface and AR surface formed on or in connection with the doped crystal to increase pump light absorption at the crystal within the cavity.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide devices and methods of an optical coupled-cavity photo-acoustic spectroscopy (CC-PAS). The exemplary CC-PAS can include three mirrors configured in parallel to couple a Fabry-Perot (FP) cavity with a sample cavity. The sample cavity can be a resonant cavity for containing a sample. The FP cavity can be used as a tunable input coupler for the sample cavity to improve spectroscopic sensitivities when measuring an absorber in the sample.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, there are thermal switches, method of operating thermal switches and methods of forming thermal switches. A thermal switch can include a thin layer of liquid crystal disposed between a first surface of a first insulating substrate and a second surface of a second insulating substrate, wherein the liquid crystals are aligned at one or more of the first surface and the second surface due to surface preparation.

Abstract: The present invention includes a laser amplifier and a method of making the same. The laser amplifier of the present invention includes a gain medium layer having a first index of refraction, and a coupling layer optically coupled to the gain medium. In the various embodiments described herein, the coupling layer can have a second index of refraction less than the first index of refraction. The laser amplifier described herein can also include an evanescent layer disposed between the gain medium and the coupling layer. The evanescent layer can have a third index of refraction less than the second index of refraction. The laser amplifier provides high power, efficient laser resonance through frustrated total internal reflection and total internal reflection while simultaneously providing for the minimization of waste heat in the gain medium layer.

Abstract: The present invention includes a laser amplifier and a method of making the same. The laser amplifier of the present invention includes a gain medium layer having a first index of refraction, and a coupling layer optically coupled to the gain medium. In the various embodiments described herein, the coupling layer can have a second index of refraction less than the first index of refraction. The laser amplifier described herein can also include an evanescent layer disposed between the gain medium and the coupling layer. The evanescent layer can have a third index of refraction less than the second index of refraction. The laser amplifier provides high power, efficient laser resonance through frustrated total internal reflection and total internal reflection while simultaneously providing for the minimization of waste heat in the gain medium layer.

Abstract: Optical refrigerators using semiconductor material as a cooling medium, with layers of material in close proximity to the cooling medium that carries away heat from the cooling material and preventing radiation trapping. In addition to the use of semiconducting material, the invention can be used with ytterbium-doped glass optical refrigerators.

Abstract: Interferometric auto-correlation is obtained using third-order (.chi..sup.(3)) nonlinearities. The nonlinear signal is separated from the linear interferometric response in order to extract information about the amplitude and the chirp of the ultrashort pulses. In one technique, cross-polarized beams are provided to eliminate the linear response. In another technique, electronic filtering is used. Electronic filtering provides substantial reduction of cost, size and complexity over conventional second harmonic generator crystals.