SBIR Phase I: High Power Density Disk Laser Devices

此次小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段研究将开发一种先进的激光光电子器件，该器件利用重要的技术和市场因素，包括：(I)用于材料加工和外科应用的小型、高效、高功率激光器的巨大需求，(Ii)最近开发的使用~0.2 x 10 mm光盘的超高功率光盘激光器(光盘设计为小型、高功率密度器件提供了近理想的配置)，以及(Iii)提供坚固耐用的增益介质的激光主体材料，这种介质可以溶解大量(10%)的杂质，并且在几乎正好980 nm处呈现极强的泵浦吸收。第一阶段的研究将确定使用重掺Er：Yb和Yb的玻璃盘作为增益介质来构建超高功率密度固体激光器件的可行性。将建造一台测试激光器，并以40瓦的光功率泵浦，并对其进行表征。提出的器件满足了材料制造的重要需求，其中工作在波长~1030 nm的红外功率激光器用于金属切割、焊接和成形，以及在激光外科应用中使用基于Er的激光器件，在组织强烈吸收的~2900 nm处产生激光辐射。材料加工行业的功率激光市场约为每年10亿美元，外科/牙科应用的激光市场约为每年数亿美元。目前材料加工市场主要使用的是NdYAG型激光器。这项新技术将与效率低、尺寸大、与所提出的新激光器设计相比没有技术进步潜力的NdYAGs展开竞争。第一阶段活动的主要营销目标包括已经供应近红外激光的公司

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I research will develop an advanced laser photonic device that exploits important technical and market factors including: (i) the large demand for small, efficient, high power lasers for materials processing and surgical applications, (ii) recent development of very high power disk lasers using ~ 0.2 x 10 mm disks (the disk design provides a nearly ideal configuration for small, high power density devices), and (iii) laser host materials which provide a robust gain medium that can dissolve large (10%) amounts of dopant and exhibit extremely strong pump absorption at almost exactly 980 nm. The Phase I research will establish the feasibility of constructing very high power density solid state laser devices using heavily doped Glass disks containing Er: Yb and Yb as the gain media. A test laser will be built and pumped with 40 Watts of optical power and characterized. The proposed devices meet an important need in materials manufacturing where infrared power lasers operating at a wavelength ~ 1030 nm used for metal cutting, welding, and shaping, and in laser surgical applications which exploit Er-based laser devices that produce laser radiation at ~2900 nm where tissue absorbs strongly. Markets for power lasers are on the order of 1B$/year in the materials processing sector and several hundred million $/year in lasers for surgical/dental applications. Currently the materials processing market mainly uses Nd: YAG lasers. The new technology will compete with Nd: YAG which has low efficiency, large size and little potential for technical advance compared to the proposed new laser designs. Key marketing targets for the Phase I activities include the companies who already supply near infrared lasers