Blue Laser Based on Frequency-Quadrupled Tm:Lu2O3

Aqwest proposes to develop a novel, compact and rugged high-peak power blue laser in the 0.45-0.49 m range. The innovative blue laser is based on a frequency-quadrupling of 1.9-μm laser output from ceramic Tm:Lu2O3, a novel high-performance solid-state laser (SSL) material that is new becoming commercially available. The project will adapt our novel and highly successful edge-pumped disk laser / multi-passed amplifier architecture we developed for the US Army, Navy, and the Department of Energy (DOE). In Phase I, we will use our existing suite of Tm laser models to determine the feasibility of the subject blue laser and identify preferred operating regimes. We will also fabricate a composite Tm:Lu2O3 laser disk using the ceramic material now being produced for Aqwest, and laser test it under relevant condition in our existing test bed to characterize performance at 1.9-μm wavelength. In Phase II, we will develop and demonstrate a full-scale blue laser prototype.