US 12,144,072 B2
All-optical laser-driven light source with electrodeless ignition
Matthew Partlow, Somerville, MA (US); Donald Smith, Newton, MA (US); Matthew Besen, Andover, MA (US); and Akinori Asai, Hamamatsu (JP)
Assigned to Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., Shizuoka (JP); and Energetiq Technology, Inc., Wilmington, MA (US)
Filed by Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., Shizuoka (JP); and Energetiq Technology, Inc., Wilmington, MA (US)
Filed on Mar. 29, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/707,109.
Prior Publication US 2023/0319959 A1, Oct. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. H05B 41/30 (2006.01); G02B 27/14 (2006.01); H01J 61/16 (2006.01); H01J 65/00 (2006.01); H01S 3/06 (2006.01); H01S 3/1115 (2023.01); H01S 3/16 (2006.01)
CPC H05B 41/30 (2013.01) [G02B 27/141 (2013.01); H01J 61/16 (2013.01); H01J 65/00 (2013.01); H01S 3/0602 (2013.01); H01S 3/1115 (2013.01); H01S 3/1623 (2013.01); H01S 3/1643 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electrodeless laser-driven light source comprising:
a) a sustaining laser source that generates a continuous wave (CW) sustaining light at an output;
b) a pump laser that generates a pump light at an output;
c) an optical beam combiner having a first input that is optically coupled to the output of the sustaining laser source and a second input that is optically coupled to the output of the pump laser, the optical beam combiner combining the CW sustaining light and the pump light at an output such that the CW sustaining light and the pump light propagate co-linearly;
d) a Q-switched laser crystal having a pump input optically coupled to the output of the pump laser and configured such that the Q-switched laser crystal generates pulsed light at an output in response to the pump light; and
e) a gas-filled bulb optically coupled to the output of the sustaining laser and optically coupled to the output of the Q-switched laser crystal such that the pulsed light ignites a pulse plasma in a breakdown region of the gas bulb and the sustaining light sustains a CW plasma in a CW plasma region of the gas bulb, thereby emitting a high brightness light from the gas bulb, wherein
the gas-filled bulb is positioned between the output of the pump laser and the pump input of the Q-switched laser crystal such that the CW plasma absorbs the pump light, thereby quenching the pulsed light generated by the Q-switched laser crystal.