Abstract: A substrate (16) is machined to form, for example, a via. The substrate is in a chamber (15) within which the gaseous environment is controlled. The machining laser beam (13) is delivered with control of parameters such as pulsing parameters to achieve desired effects. The gaseous environment may be controlled to control integral development of an insulating lining for a via, thereby avoiding the need for downstream etching and oxide growth steps. Also, machining may be performed in multiple passes in order to minimize thermal damage and to achieve other desired effects such as a particular via geometry.

Abstract: An EL element and a laser luminescent element capable of emitting ultraviolet ray with high wave length purity. The ultraviolet electroluminescent element characterized in that: a thin film made from one of polymer and oligomer in which elements selected from Si, Ge, Sn, and Pb are directly bonded; the elements are selected from those that are the same with each other and those that are different from each other; the film is disposed between two electrodes; and at least one of the electrodes is transparent. The laser luminescent element characterized in that: a thin film made from one of polymer and oligomer in which elements selected from Si, Ge, Sn, and Pb are directly bonded is disposed between two electrodes; and the elements are selected from those that are the same with each other and those that are different from each other.

Abstract: A pulse circuit, a plasma generator, and a excited atomic molecular state generator useful in an electric oxygen iodine laser of the present invention. The invention also comprises a laser wherein a beam passes through a gas expansion throat.

Abstract: A solid-state laser includes a crystal wafer provided as an active medium, a cooling chamber for accommodating a cooling liquid, and an optically transparent support body. The crystal wafer has a flat side that faces the cooling chamber and a side that is remote from the cooling chamber. The flat side of the crystal wafer is in direct thermal contact with the cooling liquid. The cooling chamber has a wall element that is formed by the crystal wafer. The optically transparent support body is configured on the side of the crystal wafer that is remote from the cooling chamber. Since, the crystal wafer is in direct thermal contact with the cooling liquid, a minimal heat transfer resistance is ensured that even when the crystal wafer becomes deformed.

Abstract: A crystalline material for optically pumped solid state lasers has the chemical composition of M3RE1−xYbx(BO3)3, where M is selected from the group Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, and Ra, optionally replaced at least partially with another element from this group, RE is selected from the group Sc, Y, Lu, and Y partially replaced with Lu, and x is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 1. The material is useful for preparing lasers having high average initial power and short pulse duration, and has flat amplification and fluorescence spectra, high thermal conductivity and a large emission cross-section.

Abstract: Disclosed is a Brillouin erbium-fiber laser system producing multiwavelengths with a dual spacing of 10 GHz and 20 GHz. The Brillouin erbium-fiber laser system includes: a Sagnac reflector generating even- and odd-order Strokes waves by launching input lights, a first unit forming a first resonator with the Sagnac reflector, wherein the first unit is coupled to a first directional coupler in the Sagnac reflector, a second unit forming a second resonator with the Sagnac reflector, wherein the second unit is coupled to the first directional coupler in the Sagnac reflector, and a third unit for inputting Brillouin pump light into one of first and the second units, whereby the optical fiber laser system outputs multiwavelengths with a dual spacing.

Abstract: A controlled, switched laser system for vaporizing a target structure on a substrate includes a diode-pumped, solid-state laser for producing a laser output, a controllable switch for controlling the on/off state and power level of the laser, and a wavelength shifter. The wavelength shifter shifts the wavelength of the laser output from a conventional wavelength to a wavelength beyond the absorption edge of the substrate but shorter than 1.2 &mgr;m in order to obtain a decrease in absorption of the laser output by the substrate due to the shift in the wavelength of the laser output. The wavelength shifter is removably insertable into the switched laser system so as to enable the switched laser system to operate at the conventional wavelength and at the wavelength beyond the absorption edge of the substrate. Heating of the substrate and hence damage to the substrate is limited due to the wavelength being beyond the absorption edge of the substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed is a light source device capable of further enhancing an effective pulse rate. A light source device according to the present invention comprises: a plurality of light sources (1a to 1h) emitting radiation light; a rotating reflection body (2) having one or more reflection surfaces (2a) and emitting the radiation light emitted from the respective light sources (1a to 1h) along an optical path (L) common to the light sources; a position detecting device (5) detecting a position of the reflection surface (2a) of the rotating reflection body (2); a timing control circuit (6) generating a synchronization signal for driving the plurality of light sources in synchronization with the position of the rotating reflection body based on an output signal from the position detecting device; and a power supply circuit (7) sequentially pulse-driving the light sources based on an output signal from the timing control circuit.

Abstract: A high-energy laser Faraday rotator is used in an optical system in which the Faraday rotator absorbs laser light energy of more than 20 mW. The Faraday rotator includes a bismuth-substituted rare-earth iron garnet single crystal film grown as a Faraday rotator by using a liquid phase epitaxial method, and non-magnetic substrate having a side surface on which the bismuth-substituted rare-earth iron garnet single crystal film is formed.

Abstract: The present invention advantageously enables single-mode lasing at higher pump power and further enables general reduction of the lasing radiation bandwidth. This is accomplished by producing an appropriate spatial gain distribution inside the laser medium. The present invention further enables advantageous selection of a particular photonic mode for lasing at that mode in a periodic laser by varying spatial gain distribution within the periodic laser medium. Photonic mode selection by varying gain distribution within the laser medium is accomplished in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.

Abstract: Provided are complex optical material that trivalent ytterbium ion is codoped into single crystalline, poly crystalline or amorphous material containing tetravalent chromium ion or trivalent vanadium ion as an active medium, and a using method of the material. In application of the material to solid-state lasers, optical fiber amplifiers and the likes, when excitation occurs in the 980 nm wavelength band in which absorption strongly occurs at the ytterbium ion with avoiding the wavelength range of 600˜800 nm in which the excited-state absorption occurs at the chromium ion, the energy is transferred from the ytterbium ion to the chromium ion to emit fluorescence in the range of 1200˜1600 nm wavelength. Accordingly, the present invention is to solve the problem of the excitation efficiency decrease of the tetravalent chromium ion due to the excited-state absorption and to enhance the fluorescence emission intensity.

Abstract: A chiral laser apparatus comprises a layered structure configured to produce a photonic stop band, the layered structure including a upper chiral material layer, a middle excitable light-emitting layer, and a lower chiral material layer and an excitation source that, when applied to the layered structure, causes the middle light-emitting layer to emit electromagnetic radiation, such that polarized lasing at a lasing wavelength occurs in a direction perpendicular to the layered structure. The middle light-emitting layer may be configured to produce a defect such that lasing advantageously occurs at a wavelength corresponding to a localized photonic state within the photonic stop band. The excitation source may be an electrical power source connected to the layered structure via two or more electrodes. In another embodiment of the invention, the layered structure is replaced with a homogeneous chiral material doped with a light-emitting material.

Abstract: A defect causing a localized state is induced in a chiral structure composed of multiple chiral elements by twisting one element of the chiral structure with respect to the other elements along a common longitudinal axis such that directors of the element molecular layers that are in contact with one another are disposed at a particular “twist” angle therebetween, the twist angle being greater than a shift angle between directors of consecutive layers. The chiral twist structure may be utilized in a variety of applications such as filters, lasers and detectors. The defect caused by the twist may be made tunable by providing a tuning device for ly rotating one or more of the chiral elements with respect to one another to vary the twist angle and thus vary the position of the induced defect within a photonic stop band. Tunable defects may be advantageously utilized to construct wavelength tunable chiral filters, detectors and lasers.

Abstract: An optically-pumped laser having a small-molecule thin organic film of DCM doped Alq3. Carrier transport properties of the small-molecule organic materials, combined with a low lasing threshold provide a new generation of diode lasers employing organic thin films. An electrically-pumped variant is also described.

Abstract: The invention is directed to optical devices comprising a solid-state structured glass substrate having at least one waveguide incorporated therein, particularly waveguides and lasers incorporating such structure. The invention is also directed to methods for modifying such devices and their properties. The waveguides and lasers of the invention provide advantageous high power and increased slope efficiency and find use, for example, in telecommunications applications.

Abstract: A solid laser produces a laser beam of a 1 &mgr;m wavelength band with an Nd-doped solid laser medium. An oscillation mode is brought to a single longitudinal mode with a Fabry-Pérot etalon located within a resonator. An etalon thickness, an etalon reflectivity, an etalon inclination, and a resonator longitudinal mode interval satisfy the relationships, 1.2%≦RN≦15% and 0.5°≦&thgr;≦2.0°, in which RN represents an effective reflectivity of the etalon with respect to wavelengths &lgr;=&lgr;0±&Dgr;&lgr;c deviating by a resonator longitudinal mode interval &Dgr;&lgr;c from a resonance wavelength &lgr;0 of the etalon, and &thgr; represents an inclination of an etalon optical axis with respect to a resonator optical axis.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus includes a laser system. The laser system has a high reflector and an output coupler that define an oscillator cavity which produces an output beam. A gain medium and a mode locking device are positioned in the oscillator cavity. A diode pump source produces a pump beam that is incident on the gain medium. An output beam directing apparatus directs the output beam to the surface of the article. A surface flaw at the surface of the article produces scattered light from at least a portion of the output beam incident on the surface flaw. A detector is positioned to detect the scattered light.

Abstract: A slab laser includes a laser-resonator and a plurality of generally-triangular prismatic slabs of a solid-state gain-medium located in the resonator. The prismatic slabs are cooperatively arranged such that laser-light circulating in the laser-resonator follows a convoluted path through the prismatic slabs. Each of the prismatic slabs changes the direction of the convoluted path at least once by about one-hundred-eighty degrees.

Abstract: According to the invention, a high power diode pumped solid state laser is provided. The laser includes a first and second reflective surfaces which form an optical resonator cavity. A laser medium, particularly a Nd doped laser medium for example: a Nd:YAG, a Nd:YLF, or a Nd:YVO4 crystal is provided within the laser cavity. A fundamental frequency laser beam propagates from the front and back ends of the laser medium. The first reflective surface is highly reflective for fundamental beam. The second reflective surface is at least partially reflective for fundamental beam. The laser medium is end pumped by at least one diode pumping apparatus for example, a laser diode, or diode array, or fiber coupled laser diodes, whose wavelength matches at least one laser medium absorption band. The diode pumping apparatus is located adjacent either the front end or the back end of the laser medium, or both. The optical resonator cavity is configured to provide a laser beam diameter in the laser medium from about 0.

Abstract: High-efficiency laser-like emission at low thresholds in dipolar organic materials upon pulsed optical excitation, without using any external mirrors. Unusually high conversion efficiencies and low thresholds in laser-like emission have been observed in the solutions of organic molecular salts having large dipole moments and specific dye molecules having high photoluminescence efficiencies. Pumped with frequency-doubled pulses from a Nd:YAG laser, conversion efficiencies in the range of 15-40% were achieved without incorporation of external mirrors. The threshold pump energies for such emission have been observed to be low (<8 &mgr;J). The spectrally narrowed output beam was found to have low divergence, high degree of polarization, and pulse-width less than that of the excitation pulses (50 picoseconds).

Abstract: The frequency standard comprises a quantum absorber, source of incident electr-omagnetic radiation, detector, controller and signal output. The quantum absorber has a transition between a lower quantum state split by hyperfine interaction into two lower sub-state groups of at least one lower sub-state, and an upper quantum split by hyperfine interaction into upper sub-state groups of at least one upper sub-state. None of the upper sub-state groups is a cycling transition sub-state group having at least one allowed electric dipole transition to one lower sub-state group but none to the other. The upper quantum state differs in energy from a first lower sub-state in one of the lower sub-state groups and from a second lower sub-state in the other of the lower sub-state groups by energy differences that correspond to frequencies of &ohgr;1 and &ohgr;2, respectively.

Abstract: A long wavelength infrared laser system is disclosed where radiation from laser sources such as frequency-doubled Nd:YAG or a Cr:LiSAF is used to resonantly pump a gain medium consisting of a holmium-doped fluoride crystal having a high active ion concentration. The laser pump source has a pulse duration that may be short enough to gain switch a particular transition or long enough to allow end-pumping with high energy densities without damage. The gain material has an absorption approximately resonant with the pump source wavelength, and the dopant concentration is selected to maximize absorption strength for a given excitation. The output radiation from the laser system consists of one or more wavelengths including, in particular 3.9 &mgr;m but also other infrared wavelgths such as 1.4 &mgr;m, 2.9 &mgr;m and 3.4 &mgr;m., several of which may be produced simultaneousely from the same laser material through the mechanism of cascade transitions.

Abstract: A passively cooled solid-state laser system for producing high-output power is set forth. The system includes an optics bench assembly containing a laser head assembly which generates a high-power laser beam. A laser medium heat sink assembly is positioned in thermal communication with the laser medium for conductively dissipating waste heat and controlling the temperature of the laser medium. A diode array heat sink assembly is positioned in thermal communication with the laser diode array assembly for conductively dissipating waste heat and controlling the temperature of the laser diode array assembly. The heat sink assemblies include heat exchangers with extending surfaces in intimate contact with phase change material. When the laser system is operating, the phase change material transitions from solid to liquid phase.

Abstract: Lasers comprising a substrate and a layer of organic material over the substrate. The organic material includes host and dopant materials that result in the laser emission of a desired color when pumped by optical pump energy. Host materials include CBP and tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum, which when combined with dopant materials such as coumarin-47, coumarin-30, perylene, rhodamine-6G, DCM, DCM2, and pyrromethane-546 result in the efficient lasing of colors such as blue, green and yellow.

Abstract: A self-sustained pulsating laser diode in which a region in an active layer functions as a saturable absorber has at least five and no more than ten quantum wells, p-type cladding layer flat part with a layer thickness of at least 300 nm and no greater than 500 nm, and a p-type cladding layer flat part with a carrier density of at least 1×1017 cm−3 and no greater than 5×1017 cm−3. This laser diode achieves a sufficiently small current distribution compared with the light distribution in the lateral direction, thereby enabling stable self-sustained pulsating operation up to a high temperature, which was difficult to achieve in the past.

Abstract: A light-emitting device includes a substrate and a light-emitting device section. The light-emitting device section includes a light-emitting layer capable of emitting light by electroluminescence, a pair of electrode layers for applying an electric field to the light-emitting layer, an optical section for propagating light generated in the light-emitting layer in a specific direction, and an insulation layer disposed between the pair of electrode layers, having an opening formed in part thereof and can function as a current concentrating layer for specifying a region through which current to be supplied to the light-emitting layer flows via a layer in the opening. The optical section has a defect section which forms photonic bandgaps capable of inhibiting a three-dimensional spontaneous emission, and the energy level of the defect section, caused by the defect, is set to be within a specific emission spectrum.

Abstract: An optoelectronic device having a flexible substrate and an optical interconnect (i.e. waveguide) comprising a sol-gel based material formed on the substrate. The sol-gel based waveguide is capable of being integrated into an all-optical system and provides for greater interconnect distance and lower signal loss. Other sol-gel based optical devices, such as filters, optical source, detectors, sensors, switches and the like, will be implemented in conjunction with the sol-gel based waveguides to provide for an integrated optical system. Methods of formulating the sol-gel based material and methods for fabricating the sol-gel based devices are also provided.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser array apparatus including: a substrate; a plurality of current blocking elements that are stripe shaped and are formed on the substrate; and a plurality of light waveguides that are formed between the plurality of current blocking elements, where at least two adjacent light waveguides are optically connected by removing a part of each current blocking element therebetween.

Abstract: A laser system and method for beam enhancement utilizes shaped electrodes or one or more shaped lasing media, including crystal media, to prescribe the operational transverse modes of a laser beam produced by the laser. The electrodes and shaped lasing media are shaped with respect to the transverse mode or modes to be selected for operational use. In some embodiments shaping is done according to a desired mode so that the desired mode has the highest power level of any of the modes present in the laser beam during operation of the laser. In some embodiments, the electrodes or lasing media are so shaped that the total power of the laser beam fluctuates below plus and minus 10% of an average total power level. Some embodiments utilize folded resonators. Other embodiments utilize other resonators including resonators having multiple discharge sections and are not folded.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cesium-lithium-borate crystal, which can be used as a high-performance wavelength converting crystal, having a chemical composition expressed as CsLiB6O10, and substituted cesium-lithium-borate crystals expressed by the following formula: Cs1−xLi1−yMx+yB6O10 or Cs2(1−z)Li2LzB12O20 (where, M is an alkali metal element, and L is an alkali earth metal element); a method for manufacturing same by heating and melting; and an optical apparatus using such crystals

Abstract: An electron-beam excitation laser has a laser structure with a light emitter and reflectors on one hand and an electron source on the other hand, wherein at least part of the light emitter or reflectors has a multidimensional photonic crystal structure. An electron-beam excitation laser includes an electron source emitting electrons and a laser structure consisting of a light emitter and reflectors, accelerates electrons from the electron source, and irradiates the electrons to the laser structure to emit a laser beam from the laser structure, wherein the reflectors and/or the light emitter in the laser structure are formed with multidimensional photonic crystals in which dielectrics with different dielectric constants are arrayed in a plurality of directions at periodic intervals, and one of the dielectrics with different dielectric constants may be formed with a light-emitting material.

Abstract: A long wavelength infrared laser system is disclosed where radiation from laser sources such as frequency-doubled Nd:YAG or a Cr:LiSAF is used to resonantly pump a gain medium consisting of a holmium-doped fluoride crystal having a high active ion concentration. The laser pump source has a pulse duration that may be short enough to gain switch a particular transition or long enough to allow end-pumping with high energy densities without damage. The gain material has an absorption approximately resonant with the pump source wavelength, and the dopant concentration is selected to maximize absorption strength for a given excitation. The output radiation from the laser system consists of one or more wavelengths including, in particular 3.9 nm but also other infrared wavelgths such as 1.4 &mgr;m, 2.9 &mgr;m and 3.4 &mgr;m., several of which may be produced simultaneousely from the same laser material through the mechanism of cascade transitions.

Abstract: A laser writing system includes a high reflector and an output coupler that define an oscillator cavity. A gain medium and a mode locking device are positioned in the oscillator cavity. A diode pump source produces a pump beam that is incident on the gain medium and an output beam is produced. A support holds a workpiece. Means are provided for directing the output beam across the workpiece.

Abstract: A device for the ablation of biological substances by laser radiation, especially for stomatologic treatment, comprises a pump laser and a laser converter for converting the pump laser radiation into a laser radiation having the wavelength range of 3 &mgr;m±0.2 &mgr;m, wherein the laser converter is accommodated in a treatment head which is separated from the pump laser by a fiber-optic device. There is provided in the laser converter a metal-holmium-fluoride crystal with an alkaline or alkaline-earth ion as metal ion with partial substitution of the holmium (Ho) ions, namely one of the following compounds: Me(Ho1-xPrx)F4 with a metal ion of lithium (Li) or sodium (Na), a fluorine ion, and with components of praseodymium of x=0.001 to 0.03, or Ba(Ho1-xPrx)2F8, where Ba is a barium ion, F is a fluorine ion, and with components of praseodymium of x=0.0005 to 0.015.

Abstract: An optical amplification medium doped with Er3+ ions is selected from the group of a fluoride glass, a chalcogenide glass, a telluride glass, a halide crystal, and a lead oxide based glass. The Er3+ ions are excited by light of at least one wavelength in the range of 0.96 &mgr;m to 0.98 &mgr;m. A laser or an optical amplifier includes this optical amplification medium doped with Er3+ ions. Furthermore, an optical amplification method performs an optical amplification using the optical amplifier having the optical amplification medium doped with Er3+ ions. Thus, the laser to be applied in the field of optical communication, the optical amplifier having the characteristics of low noise and high gain, and the optical amplification method can be provided.

Abstract: An EL element and a laser luminescent element are capable of emitting ultraviolet rays with high wavelength purity. The ultraviolet electroluminescent element includes a thin film made from one of a polymer and an oligomer in which the elements, selected from Si, Ge, Sn, and Pb, and directly bonded. The elements selected may be the same as or different from each other. The film is disposed between two electrodes. At least one of the electrodes is transparent. The laser luminescent element includes a thin film made from one of a polymer and an oligomer in which the elements selected from Si, Ge, Sn, and Pb, are directly bonded, and is disposed between two electrodes. The elements may be the same as or different from each other.

Abstract: A laser system and method for beam enhancement utilizes shaped electrodes or one or more shaped lasing media, including crystal media, to prescribe the operational transverse modes of the laser. The electrodes and shaped lasing media are shaped with respect to the transverse mode or modes to be selected for operational use. In some embodiments shaping is done according to the selected transverse modes for operation so that at least a designated percentage of the total operational power of the beam is made up of the selected transverse modes. The designated percentage of total operational power of the selected transverse modes can be 90% of the total power of the beam, but in other more relaxed cases can be 85% and in other more stringent cases are 95% of the beam. In some embodiments, the electrodes or lasing media are so shaped that the theoretical fundamental transverse mode is the only selected transverse operational mode. Some embodiments utilize folded resonators.

Abstract: Abstract of the Disclosure A solid-state laser apparatus has a solid-state laser medium inside a resonator. A pump light source such as a semiconductor laser apparatus generates pump light, and an optical system focuses the pump light on the solid-stated laser medium such that its distribution is not only inside but also at least in part outside the resonator mode in the solid-state laser medium, say, over more than 50% of the total length of the solid-state laser medium.

Abstract: Neodymium-doped yttrium calcium oxyborate (Nd:YCOB) is the single active gain element for a solid-state laser device capable of achieving both lasing and self-frequency doubling optical effects. A pumping source for optically pumping Nd:YCOB can generate a laser light output of approximately 400 mW at approximately 1060 nm wavelength and a self-frequency doubled output of approximately 60 mW at approximately 530 nm wavelength. Thus, a laser device can be designed that is compact, less expensive and a high-powered source of visible, green laser light.

Abstract: A tunable, solid state laser device with both visible and infrared laser emission is developed with a trivalent ytterbium-doped yttrium calcium oxyborate crystal as the host crystal. The Yb:YCOB crystal generates an infrared fundamental light over a wide bandwidth, from approximately 980 nanometers (nm) to approximately 1100 nm. The bandwidth generated by the Yb:YCOB crystal is approximately 100 nm wide and supports the generation of pulsed infrared light or when self-frequency doubled provides a compact, efficient, source of tunable, visible, blue or green laser light in wavelengths of approximately 490 nm to approximately 550 nm.

Abstract: A high power, diode pumped laser has a Nd:YVO4 gain media. Scaling to higher powers is achieved with the use of a low doped gain media, increasing the length of the gain media as well as increasing the pump volume. Passive cooling is extended to output powers of 10 W or greater .

Abstract: An extremely compact soft x-ray and/or extreme ultraviolet laser is disclosed that can be repetitively fired within short time intervals. The laser generates a plasma within a capillary (3) by flowing through the capillary (3) a fast high current pulse generated by a very compact liquid dielectric (1) transmission line (9) geometry.

Abstract: Organic vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers ("OVCSELs"), in which a thin layer of organic material is disposed between highly reflective mirrors to thereby form a vertical cavity within a stacked arrangement. The lasers of the present invention each comprise a first mirror layer; a layer of active organic material over the first mirror layer; and a second mirror layer over the layer of first active organic material. The active organic material lases when pumped to thereby produce laser light. The present invention provides for optical semiconductor lasers with desired properties such as narrow bandwidth emission, the minimal use of active organic materials, and the facilitation of wavelength tuning and electrical pumping.

Abstract: A compound planar waveguide comprising multiple confinement structures that provides independent containment of pump and laser radiation. The waveguide may be formed of multiple layers of laser-active and laser-inactive materials to provide step changes in refractive index. The planar waveguide may include a central laserable core layer substantially sandwiched by at least two non-laserable cladding layers to provide an interface between the inner surfaces of the cladding layers and the gain medium core to define a first waveguide by virtue of an index of refraction discontinuity for containing developed laser radiation, and wherein the outer surfaces of the cladding layers define a second waveguide by virtue of an index of refraction discontinuity for containing pump radiation within the waveguide. The second waveguide may be also defined by an interface formed between the cladding layers and additional non-laserable external layers which sandwich the cladding layers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to apparatus for providing orthogonally polarized light beams for use in precision metrology applications such as in the measurement of length or length changes using interferometric techniques. An input beam is introduced to a multifaceted anisotropic optically active acousto-optical crystal for travel through an interactive region where it experiences two acoustic beams that diffract it via small angle Bragg diffraction to form two orthogonally polarized internal beam components that are separated by a small angle of divergence and subsequently become external beam components available outside of the acousto-optical crystal for use in anticipated downstream applications. The acousto-optical crystal preferably is a uniaxial crystal comprising TeO.sub.2.

Abstract: An optically-pumped laser having a small-molecule thin organic film of DCM doped Alq.sub.3. Carrier transport properties of the small-molecule organic materials, combined with a low lasing threshold provide a new generation of diode lasers employing organic thin films. An electrically-pumped variant is also described.

Abstract: A light-modulating element having a RQB medium, a pair of electrodes provided on the RQB medium and connected to a high-frequency power supply, a signal light source for emitting two signal light beams, and two optical fibers for guiding the signal light beams to the RQB medium. In the element, the conditions .sigma..sub.23 .ltoreq..sigma..sub.12 and .sigma..sub.23 .ltoreq..sigma..sub.13 are satisfied, where .sigma..sub.12 is the standard deviation (inhomogeneous broadening) of energies of impurities between a first level and a second level, .sigma..sub.13 is the standard deviation (inhomogeneous broadening) of energies of impurities between first level and a third level, and .sigma..sub.23 is the standard deviation (inhomogeneous broadening) of energies of impurities between the second and third levels, all impurities existing in the RQB medium.

Abstract: The device and method of the invention provide a neutralizing compound that reacts with acid gases generated in laser exhaust to yield an insoluble non-toxic powder.

Abstract: The invention comprises a RE-doped MA.sub.2 X.sub.4 crystalline gain medium, where M includes a divalent ion such as Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb, Eu, or Yb; A is selected from trivalent ions including Al, Ga, and In; X is one of the chalcogenide ions S, Se, and Te; and RE represents the trivalent rare earth ions. The MA.sub.2 X.sub.4 gain medium can be employed in a laser oscillator or a laser amplifier. Possible pump sources include diode lasers, as well as other laser pump sources. The laser wavelengths generated are greater than 3 microns, as becomes possible because of the low phonon frequency of this host medium. The invention may be used to seed optical devices such as optical parametric oscillators and other lasers.

Abstract: The crystal isolation system of the present invention protects a laser crystal from environmental factors such as humidity and dust. A crystal is placed in a housing which has two ports in it, and flexible tubes are placed in each port. Cap pieces cover the ends of the tubes and prevent deleterious environmental factors such as dust and moisture from entering the isolation system while allowing laser light to enter the system. A desiccator attached to the system removes moisture from the air inside the system, and an led and detector apparatus are is used to help indicate the remaining useful life of the desiccant in the desiccator.