SBIR Phase II: Yb:KGW for High Power and Ultrafast Lasers

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目的重点是开发方法，以提高一个令人兴奋的新的二极管泵浦固态激光晶体的功率和性能。 在新兴和快速发展的超快激光领域，激光晶体因其产生高功率飞秒脉冲的能力而上级任何其他候选材料。 拟议的计划将涉及晶体生长，以选择具有最佳操作性能和功率处理能力的材料。 要解决的问题包括在晶体中的最佳浓度，在晶体生长过程中掺杂剂掺入的均匀性，激光棒制造的晶体的优选取向，以及提高这些晶体的质量和可靠性的方法。 最近推出了基于该技术的第一个商用超快激光系统。为了确保这一新技术的迅速发展以及它无疑将在材料加工、医学和基础科学方面的无数应用，需要作出相当大的发展努力。 这项研究工作的目的是使激光器所基于的材料系统达到这种新设备在商业上取得成功所必需的性能、可靠性和可生产性。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project focuses on developing methods to improve the power and performance of an exciting new diode-pumped solid-state laser crystal. Laser crystals are superior to any other candidate material in the emerging and rapidly developing field of ultrafast lasers by their ability to generate high power femtosecond pulses. The proposed program will involve crystal growth in order to select the material with optimum operating performance and power handling capabilities. Issues to be addressed include the optimum concentration in the crystals, the uniformity of dopant incorporation during crystal growth, the preferred orientation of the crystal for laser rod fabrication, and methods to improve the quality and reliability of these crystals. The first commercial ultrafast laser system based on this technology was recently introduced. In order to ensure the rapid development of this new technology and the myriad applications in material processing, medicine and basic science it will undoubtedly enable, considerable development effort is required. This research effort is directed toward bringing the material system on which the laser is based to a point of performance, reliability and producability necessary for the commercial success of this new device.