SBIR Phase I: Coilable Single Crystal Fibers of Doped YAG for High Power Laser Applications

SBIR 第一阶段：用于高功率激光应用的可卷曲掺杂 YAG 单晶光纤

• 批准号: 1248913
• 负责人: Gisele Maxwell
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: Shasta Crystals, Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-01-01 至 2013-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1248913&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Coilable; Single; Crystal

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will demonstrate the technical feasibility of the growth of coilable single-crystal fibers of doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) of sufficient quality to improve the performance of high-power fiber lasers. Single crystal fibers are an intermediate between laser crystals and doped glass fibers. They can combine the advantages of both by guiding laser light and matching the efficiencies found in bulk crystals, making them ideal candidates for high-power laser and fiber laser applications. The technical challenge is to synthesize a cladded flexible fiber with a core of dopant (Er, Nd, Yb, etc.) that will exhibit good waveguiding properties. To achieve this, the Phase I technical objectives will be centered around the execution of various types of experiments to grow cladded YAG out of various feedstocks, followed by the characterization of each grown crystal and finally, the demonstration of lasing effects in cladded Nd:YAG. Successful completion of this project will culminate in the demonstration of flexible doped YAG fibers 200 mm in length, with doped cores 20 microns in diameter. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is an improvement in the performance of fiber lasers for industrial applications. The worldwide market for lasers in 2011 was $7.5 billion. Technology areas which will be primarily impacted by this material innovation are material processing, medical, scientific/military, and instrumentation/sensors. The market for material processing lasers is $2.8 billion, and $1.2 billion for the other listed areas. The proposed work would enable laser manufacturers to commercialize higher-power, more efficient lasers. The market share of crystal fiber lasers is expected to grow to at least 10%, because of their performance capabilities. In the most conservative scenario, the cost of a crystal fiber component is estimated to be 2% of the selling price of the laser; therefore, the total addressable market for the crystal fibers themselves will be $2 million. By adding in associated gain modules and subsystems, the revenue potential of this product line increases to over $10 million. Further growth will be possible by enabling new applications with the unique properties of crystal fiber lasers.

该小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将展示生长足够质量的掺杂钇铝石榴石（YAG）可卷曲单晶光纤的技术可行性，以提高高功率光纤激光器的性能。单晶光纤是介于激光晶体和掺杂玻璃光纤之间的中间体。 它们可以通过引导激光和匹配大块晶体中的效率来联合收割机结合两者的优点，使其成为高功率激光器和光纤激光器应用的理想候选者。 技术挑战是合成具有掺杂剂（Er、Nd、Yb等）芯的包覆柔性光纤。其将表现出良好的波导特性。为了实现这一目标，第一阶段的技术目标将集中在执行各种类型的实验，以从各种原料中生长出包覆YAG，然后对每个生长的晶体进行表征，最后展示包覆Nd：YAG的激光效应。 该项目的成功完成将最终展示长度为200 mm、掺杂芯直径为20微米的柔性掺杂YAG光纤。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是提高光纤激光器在工业应用中的性能。2011年全球激光器市场为75亿美元。 受这种材料创新影响的主要技术领域是材料加工、医疗、科学/军事和仪器/传感器。 材料加工激光器市场为28亿美元，其他上市领域为12亿美元。 这项拟议中的工作将使激光制造商能够将更高功率、更高效的激光器商业化。 晶体光纤激光器的市场份额预计将增长到至少10%，因为它们的性能能力。 在最保守的情况下，晶体光纤组件的成本估计为激光器售价的2%;因此，晶体光纤本身的总目标市场将为200万美元。 通过增加相关的增益模块和子系统，该产品线的收入潜力增加到超过1000万美元。 通过利用晶体光纤激光器的独特性能实现新的应用，进一步的增长将成为可能。