Affordable, Efficient and Power Scaleable Diode Pumped Laser Technology

The optical material requirements for high quality laser crystals continues to become more difficult to meet as new laser uses are developed. Ytterbium doped Yttrium Ortho-Vanadate (Yb3+:YVO4) single crystal material is a potential successor to Neodimium doped YAG (Nd:YAG) because of its higher laser gain, efficiency and multi-Sw power range potential. Foster-Miller has conceived of an innovative approach to grow uniformly doped large diameter (Yb3+:YVO4) single crystals of high optical quality. This approach eliminates the V20s melt decomposition, small crystal size, high defect structure and cracking problems associated with the current state of the art crystal growth processes. Foster-Miller's process has the capability of growing single crystals at very low temperatures not currently possible with current crystal growth processes. Also, the nature of the isothermal process will promote uniform distribution of dopant species added during crystal growth. Our approach will be an enabling technology for producing low cost high efficiency laser crystals. The process is versatile and has the potential to produce high quality YAG crystals and other laser materials of interest with a very low thermal defect structures not currently possible with the current state of the art technology. The Phase I program will involve growth and spectroscopic characterization of Yb:YVO4 crystals. The Phase I team will include Schwartz Electro-Optics as a commercialization partner. Potential commercial applications for the fundamental output of the laser include laser materials processing, marking and film exposure for the new generation of printing and proofing materials. Other applications would involve the use of nonlinear optics to convert the laser wavelength as is now done for Nd-doped lasers. The use of Yb:YVO4 as a substitute for Nd:YVO4 could produce a somewhat shorter wavelength in the visible, closer to that of the ion laser, while providing more efficient operation, lower cost and ultimately a high power output for the same investment in diode lasers.