Abstract: A continuous-wave (CW), ultraviolet triply-optically-pumped atomic laser (TOPAL) is disclosed. The inventive laser device includes a laser active media comprising a mixture of a neutral atomic vapor and one or more buffer gases. The gain mixture is placed within a segmented gain cell, allowing for periodic, selected spectral filtering of deleterious ASE transitions; the segmented gain cell, in turn, is placed within an optical cavity with a high Q at a specified ultraviolet wavelength, and is successively, resonantly excited by three drive pump lasers, in three energy-contiguous visible/IR electric-dipole allowed transitions, producing a steady-state electron population inversion density between a high-lying electronic energy level and the ground electronic level, and producing laser emission on a UV transition (within the spectral range ˜230 to ˜370 nm) terminating on the ground electronic level.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for producing near-diffraction-limited laser light, or amplifying near-diffraction-limited light, in diode pumped alkali vapor photonic-band-gap fiber lasers or amplifiers. Laser light is both substantially generated and propagated in an alkali gas instead of a solid, allowing the nonlinear and damage limitations of conventional solid core fibers to be circumvented. Alkali vapor is introduced into the center hole of a photonic-band-gap fiber, which can then be pumped with light from a pump laser and operated as an oscillator with a seed beam, or can be configured as an amplifier.

Abstract: A diode-end-pumped ˜812 nm thulium doped solid state laser is disclosed, with improved efficiency and practicality. The inventive laser device include laser active media comprising a thulium doped dielectric solid state gain element, placed within a laser cavity, and diode-end-pumped with ˜780 nm pump radiation. Solid state lasers emitting at a wavelengths of ˜406 nm, ˜270 nm, and ˜203 nm are also disclosed, based on nonlinear wavelength conversion of a ˜812 nm thulium:host solid state laser.

Abstract: An optically-pumped ˜620 nm europium doped solid state laser is disclosed, with improved efficiency and practicality. The inventive laser device include laser active media comprising an europium doped dielectric solid state gain element, placed within a laser cavity, and pumped with either green (˜530 nm) or blue (˜470 nm) pump radiation at selected wavelengths obtained from frequency-doubled surface-emitting infrared laser diodes. A solid state laser emitting at a wavelength of ˜310 nm is also disclosed, comprising a frequency-doubled ˜620 nm europium-doped solid state laser.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for producing near-diffraction-limited laser light, or amplifying near-diffraction-limited light, in diode pumped alkali vapor photonic-band-gap fiber lasers or amplifiers. Laser light is both substantially generated and propagated in an alkali gas instead of a solid, allowing the nonlinear and damage limitations of conventional solid core fibers to be circumvented. Alkali vapor is introduced into the center hole of a photonic-band-gap fiber, which can then be pumped with light from a pump laser and operated as an oscillator with a seed beam, or can be configured as an amplifier.

Abstract: Optically-pumped group IIB atomic vapor lasers emitting at discrete wavelengths shorter than 230 nm are disclosed. This laser device utilizes an active medium comprising a mixture of a group IIB atomic vapor and one or more buffer gases placed within a doubly-resonant optical cavity that enables the realization of a population inversion between the first 1P1 level and the 1S0 ground level of the group IIB atoms. The laser may operate in a pure continuous-wave mode, or in a high-repetition pulsed mode, at DUV wavelengths of ˜185 nm (mercury), ˜229 nm (cadmium) and ˜214 nm (zinc).