| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/N39135/01 |
| Title: |
POWER-SCALING OF TWO MICRON SOLID-STATE LASERS VIA RADIATION COOLING |
| Principal Investigator: |
Clarkson, Professor WA |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Optoelectronics Research Ctr (closed) |
| Organisation: |
University of Southampton |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 March 2001 |
Ends: |
30 November 2004 |
Value (£): |
285,745
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| Aerospace, Defence and Marine |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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This proposal will investigate power-scaling of two micron solid-state lasers by employing a novel hybrid laser scheme which combines the advantages of cladding-pumped fibre lasers and conventional bulk solid-state lasers. This will involve the development of a high-power diode-pumped thulium-doped silica fibre laser, which will be used to pump, in-band, a Ho:YAG laser operating around 2.1 microns. The combination of low quantum defect heating and mode area scalability in the bulk Ho:YAG laser are very attractive for high-power and high-brightness operation. A further attraction of Ho:YAG is the very long fluorescence lifetime of approximately 8ms, offering the prospect of very high Q-switched pulse energies for modest pump powers. An important aim of this project will be to explore the possibility of a further reduction in heat generation in the Ho:YAG via the use of radiation cooling, by anti-Stokes fluorescence, to offset the heat generation in the Ho:YAG via the use of radiation cooling, by anti-Stokes fluorescence, to offset the heat generated by the Stokes shifted stimulated emission. If a significant reduction in thermal loading can be achieved via this technique, then this would be an extremely important development in the power-scaling of lasers, allowing two-micro hybrid lasers to challenge the long-established dominance of one micron Neodymium and Ytterbium lasers in the high power regime.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.soton.ac.uk |