EPSRC logo

Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/L97209/01
Title: DIO-PUMPED SELF-GRATING LASERS
Principal Investigator: Eason, Professor RW
Other Investigators:
Tropper, Professor A Shepherd, Professor DP
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Onyx Optics INC (USA)
Department: Sch of Physics and Astronomy
Organisation: University of Southampton
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 09 March 1998 Ends: 08 March 2000 Value (£): 129,697
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Optical Devices & Subsystems
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Electronics
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
High power semiconductor diode arrays (>20W) are severely limited industrial applications by their poor spatial coherence and are therefore often used for optical pumping of solid-state lasers in which the resonator is designed to maintain a high-quality mode. We propose a novel approach, which combines expertise at Southampton in diode-pumped waveguide laser systems with the self-adaptive techniques pioneered at Imperial College by Dr Damzen. A solid-state planar waveguide amplifier will be developed with efficient diode side-pumping into the waveguide due to the compatible high-aspect ratio of both waveguide and emitter dimensions. The confinement of the pump light leads to considerably higher amplifier gains compared to bulk pumping, with continuous-wave gains in excess of 28dB having been demonstrated at Southampton in planar garnet waveguides. These high gains open the prospect of using gain saturation gratings to establish a self-organised holographic gain grating resonator for high-quality spatial and spectral cavity mode capability by correction of thermal effects, multimodal waveguide unscrambling and mode control of large in-plane guide dimension. Our aim in this way will be to demonstrate a high power solid state source with a diffraction-limited, single-longitudinal mode output beam.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Summary
Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:  
Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.soton.ac.uk