Kinds of lasers - Revision history

Lwcamp at 19:03, 7 March 2026

2026-03-07T19:03:05Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:03, 7 March 2026
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	==References==		==References==

	[[Category:Lasers]][[Category:Beams]][[Category:Physics & Engineering]]		[[Category:Lasers]][[Category:Beams]][[Category:Physics & Engineering]][[Category:Physics & Math & Engineering]]

Tshhmon at 21:39, 23 April 2024

2024-04-23T21:39:35Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:39, 23 April 2024
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	==References==		==References==

	[[Category:Lasers]][[Category:Beams]]		[[Category:Lasers]][[Category:Beams]][[Category:Physics & Engineering]]

Lwcamp: /* Diode lasers */

2024-04-15T02:09:22Z

Diode lasers

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:09, 14 April 2024
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	Recent advances suggest it may be possible to make high powered diode lasers that produce a single, clean, well defined mode of output light.		Recent advances suggest it may be possible to make high powered diode lasers that produce a single, clean, well defined mode of output light.
	<ref>[https://phys.org/news/2022-06-single-mode-semiconductor-laser-power-scalability.html New single-mode semiconductor laser delivers power with scalability]</ref>		<ref>[https://phys.org/news/2022-06-single-mode-semiconductor-laser-power-scalability.html New single-mode semiconductor laser delivers power with scalability]</ref>
	<ref>[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05021-4 Contractor, R., Noh, W., Redjem, W. <i>et al</i>. Scalable single-mode surface emitting laser via open-Dirac singularities. Nature (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05021-4 ]</ref>		<ref>[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05021-4 Contractor, R., Noh, W., Redjem, W. <i>et al</i>. Scalable single-mode surface emitting laser via open-Dirac singularities. Nature (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05021-4 ]</ref><ref>Susumu Noda, Masahiro Yoshida, and Takuya Inoue, "The Tiny Ultrabright Laser that Can Melt Steel", IEEE Spectrum, April 14 2024, https://spectrum.ieee.org/pcsel</ref>
	<ref>[https://spectrum.ieee.org/photonic-crystal-lasers Semiconductor Lasers Hit Steel-Slicing Levels: PCSEL devices now blast brawny beams comparable to bulkier laser systems], IEEE Spectrum</ref>		<ref>[https://spectrum.ieee.org/photonic-crystal-lasers Semiconductor Lasers Hit Steel-Slicing Levels: PCSEL devices now blast brawny beams comparable to bulkier laser systems], IEEE Spectrum</ref>
	This could allow laser death rays to be made out of diode lasers alone, eliminating a conversion step, increasing the efficiency, and making the laser more compact, cheaper, and more robust.		This could allow laser death rays to be made out of diode lasers alone, eliminating a conversion step, increasing the efficiency, and making the laser more compact, cheaper, and more robust.

Lwcamp: /* Free electron lasers */

2023-08-16T14:54:59Z

Free electron lasers

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:54, 16 August 2023
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	<ref>[https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.35848/1882-0786/abb690 Heishun Zen, Hideaki Ohgaki, and Ryoichi Hajima, "Record high extraction efficiency of free electron laser oscillator", Applied Physics Express <b>13</b>, 102007 (2020)] [https://doi.org/10.35848/1882-0786/abb690]</ref>		<ref>[https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.35848/1882-0786/abb690 Heishun Zen, Hideaki Ohgaki, and Ryoichi Hajima, "Record high extraction efficiency of free electron laser oscillator", Applied Physics Express <b>13</b>, 102007 (2020)] [https://doi.org/10.35848/1882-0786/abb690]</ref>
	<ref>[https://conferences.pa.ucla.edu/high-efficiency-free-electron-lasers/ Physics & Applications of High Efficiency Free-Electron Lasers Workshop April 11-13, 2018 at the UCLA California NanoSystem Institute]</ref>		<ref>[https://conferences.pa.ucla.edu/high-efficiency-free-electron-lasers/ Physics & Applications of High Efficiency Free-Electron Lasers Workshop April 11-13, 2018 at the UCLA California NanoSystem Institute]</ref>
	<ref>[https://journals.aps.org/prab/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevAccelBeams.19.020705 C. Emma, K. Fang, J. Wu, and C. Pellegrini, "High efficiency, multiterawatt x-ray free electron lasers", Phys. Rev. Accel. Beams <b>19</b>, 020705 – Published 26 February 2016</ref>. However, all the unused energy stays in the particle beam. So you can, for example, turn the beam around and run it <i>backwards</i> through your particle accelerator to pump up the RF fields in the cavities for the next electron pulse, recycling all that energy		<ref>[https://journals.aps.org/prab/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevAccelBeams.19.020705 C. Emma, K. Fang, J. Wu, and C. Pellegrini, "High efficiency, multiterawatt x-ray free electron lasers", Phys. Rev. Accel. Beams <b>19</b>, 020705 – Published 26 February 2016]</ref>. However, all the unused energy stays in the particle beam. So you can, for example, turn the beam around and run it <i>backwards</i> through your particle accelerator to pump up the RF fields in the cavities for the next electron pulse, recycling all that energy
	<ref>[https://accelconf.web.cern.ch/linac08/papers/we101.pdf G. A. Krafft, "ENERGY RECOVERED LINACS", Proceedings of LINAC08, Victoria, BC, Canada, 688-692]</ref>		<ref>[https://accelconf.web.cern.ch/linac08/papers/we101.pdf G. A. Krafft, "ENERGY RECOVERED LINACS", Proceedings of LINAC08, Victoria, BC, Canada, 688-692]</ref>
	, although this only really works for linac acclerators. If you can keep your electron bunches from spreading out over time, you can also recirculate them in a synchrotron. So in principle you can extract nearly all of the electrical energy you pump in as laser energy coming out (although reference <ref name=Whitney_2005></ref> describes many of the other losses you can expect, from running cryogenic compressors to overhead for building lighting and computers).		, although this only really works for linac acclerators. If you can keep your electron bunches from spreading out over time, you can also recirculate them in a synchrotron. So in principle you can extract nearly all of the electrical energy you pump in as laser energy coming out (although reference <ref name=Whitney_2005></ref> describes many of the other losses you can expect, from running cryogenic compressors to overhead for building lighting and computers).

	However, a 10% extraction efficiency per pass assumes that you can run the FEL inside an optical cavity. Currently, x-ray FELs operate at a much lower extraction efficiency because it is hard to make x-ray resonant cavities. So if you can't solve this problem, while you might still have a high wallplug efficiency for your laser you will have a much higher circulating particle beam power than x-ray beam output. This raises the question of why not just shoot the electron beam at your enemies? you will be able to dump a couple orders of magnitude more power into them. But - new technologies have been proposed for x-ray resonant cavities. If these pan out, you'll be able to get high efficiency and high power x-ray beams for your war spacecraft.		However, a 10% extraction efficiency per pass assumes that you can run the FEL inside an optical cavity. Currently, x-ray FELs operate at a much lower extraction efficiency because it is hard to make x-ray resonant cavities. So if you can't solve this problem, while you might still have a high wallplug efficiency for your laser you will have a much higher circulating particle beam power than x-ray beam output. This raises the question of why not just shoot the electron beam at your enemies? you will be able to dump a couple orders of magnitude more power into them. But - new technologies have been proposed for x-ray resonant cavities<ref>[https://phys.org/news/2023-08-important-cavity-based-x-ray-laser-technology.html Glennda Chui, "Researchers take important step toward developing cavity-based X-ray laser technology"]</ref><ref>[https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-023-01267-0 Margraf, R., Robles, R., Halavanau, A. et al. "Low-loss stable storage of 1.2 Å X-ray pulses in a 14 m Bragg cavity". <i>Nat. Photon.</i> (2023)]</ref>. If these pan out, you'll be able to get high efficiency and high power x-ray beams for your war spacecraft.

	Their main limitation is that they are big. Those electron accelerators don’t come small. You might fit one into a naval vessel or jumbo jet. A number of new technologies for drastically shrinking electron beams are being developed, but these are also likely to take a hit on efficiency as well. That’s not to say that traditional electron linac technology can’t be made even more compact. There’s been a considerable amount of progress made on that as well. But in the foreseeable future you’re still probably going to be looking at a really big device.		Their main limitation is that they are big. Those electron accelerators don’t come small. You might fit one into a naval vessel or jumbo jet. A number of new technologies for drastically shrinking electron beams are being developed, but these are also likely to take a hit on efficiency as well. That’s not to say that traditional electron linac technology can’t be made even more compact. There’s been a considerable amount of progress made on that as well. But in the foreseeable future you’re still probably going to be looking at a really big device.

Lwcamp: /* Diode lasers */

2023-06-20T22:05:17Z

Diode lasers

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:05, 20 June 2023
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	<ref>[https://phys.org/news/2022-06-single-mode-semiconductor-laser-power-scalability.html New single-mode semiconductor laser delivers power with scalability]</ref>		<ref>[https://phys.org/news/2022-06-single-mode-semiconductor-laser-power-scalability.html New single-mode semiconductor laser delivers power with scalability]</ref>
	<ref>[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05021-4 Contractor, R., Noh, W., Redjem, W. <i>et al</i>. Scalable single-mode surface emitting laser via open-Dirac singularities. Nature (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05021-4 ]</ref>		<ref>[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05021-4 Contractor, R., Noh, W., Redjem, W. <i>et al</i>. Scalable single-mode surface emitting laser via open-Dirac singularities. Nature (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05021-4 ]</ref>
			<ref>[https://spectrum.ieee.org/photonic-crystal-lasers Semiconductor Lasers Hit Steel-Slicing Levels: PCSEL devices now blast brawny beams comparable to bulkier laser systems], IEEE Spectrum</ref>
	This could allow laser death rays to be made out of diode lasers alone, eliminating a conversion step, increasing the efficiency, and making the laser more compact, cheaper, and more robust.		This could allow laser death rays to be made out of diode lasers alone, eliminating a conversion step, increasing the efficiency, and making the laser more compact, cheaper, and more robust.
	Laser diodes can be made to operate over a wide range of wavelengths, by choosing the right material, ranging across the infrared on the low end to 193 nm ultraviolet light for aluminum nitride		Laser diodes can be made to operate over a wide range of wavelengths, by choosing the right material, ranging across the infrared on the low end to 193 nm ultraviolet light for aluminum nitride

Lwcamp at 01:05, 20 August 2022

2022-08-20T01:05:38Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:05, 19 August 2022
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	==References==		==References==

	[[Category:Lasers]]		[[Category:Lasers]][[Category:Beams]]

Lwcamp: /* Diode lasers */

2022-07-26T22:45:45Z

Diode lasers

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:45, 26 July 2022
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	Recent advances suggest it may be possible to make high powered diode lasers that produce a single, clean, well defined mode of output light.		Recent advances suggest it may be possible to make high powered diode lasers that produce a single, clean, well defined mode of output light.
	<ref>[https://phys.org/news/2022-06-single-mode-semiconductor-laser-power-scalability.html, New single-mode semiconductor laser delivers power with scalability]</ref>		<ref>[https://phys.org/news/2022-06-single-mode-semiconductor-laser-power-scalability.html New single-mode semiconductor laser delivers power with scalability]</ref>
	<ref>[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05021-4, Contractor, R., Noh, W., Redjem, W. <i>et al</i>. Scalable single-mode surface emitting laser via open-Dirac singularities. Nature (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05021-4 ]</ref>		<ref>[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05021-4 Contractor, R., Noh, W., Redjem, W. <i>et al</i>. Scalable single-mode surface emitting laser via open-Dirac singularities. Nature (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05021-4 ]</ref>
	This could allow laser death rays to be made out of diode lasers alone, eliminating a conversion step, increasing the efficiency, and making the laser more compact, cheaper, and more robust.		This could allow laser death rays to be made out of diode lasers alone, eliminating a conversion step, increasing the efficiency, and making the laser more compact, cheaper, and more robust.
	Laser diodes can be made to operate over a wide range of wavelengths, by choosing the right material, ranging across the infrared on the low end to 193 nm ultraviolet light for aluminum nitride		Laser diodes can be made to operate over a wide range of wavelengths, by choosing the right material, ranging across the infrared on the low end to 193 nm ultraviolet light for aluminum nitride

Lwcamp: /* Diode lasers */

2022-07-26T22:44:34Z

Diode lasers

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:44, 26 July 2022
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	The usual way to get around this is to use cheap, highly efficient diode lasers to pump other kinds of lasers that need light to get their laser action going. That way we can use a fiber laser coil, for example, to convert poorly focusable diode laser light into extremely focusable light from the fiber laser.		The usual way to get around this is to use cheap, highly efficient diode lasers to pump other kinds of lasers that need light to get their laser action going. That way we can use a fiber laser coil, for example, to convert poorly focusable diode laser light into extremely focusable light from the fiber laser.

			Recent advances suggest it may be possible to make high powered diode lasers that produce a single, clean, well defined mode of output light.
			<ref>[https://phys.org/news/2022-06-single-mode-semiconductor-laser-power-scalability.html, New single-mode semiconductor laser delivers power with scalability]</ref>
			<ref>[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05021-4, Contractor, R., Noh, W., Redjem, W. <i>et al</i>. Scalable single-mode surface emitting laser via open-Dirac singularities. Nature (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05021-4 ]</ref>
			This could allow laser death rays to be made out of diode lasers alone, eliminating a conversion step, increasing the efficiency, and making the laser more compact, cheaper, and more robust.
			Laser diodes can be made to operate over a wide range of wavelengths, by choosing the right material, ranging across the infrared on the low end to 193 nm ultraviolet light for aluminum nitride

	==Solid state lasers==		==Solid state lasers==

Lwcamp: /* Excimer lasers */

2022-06-26T18:30:24Z

Excimer lasers

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:30, 26 June 2022
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	==Excimer lasers==		==Excimer lasers==
	An excimer laser does some crazy stuff to get forbidden chemistry to happen between a halogen and a noble gas, and uses that unholy spawn of a reaction product to produce ultraviolet laser light. Excimer lasers can produce fairly high powered pulses of ultraviolet light, usually in the near ultraviolet to near vacuum ultraviolet (to as short as 126 nm wavelength). Their efficiency isn’t terrible - modern ones can get around 10% conversion of electricity to laser light		An excimer laser does some crazy stuff to get forbidden chemistry to happen between a halogen and a noble gas, and uses that unholy spawn of a reaction product to produce ultraviolet laser light. Excimer lasers can produce fairly high powered pulses of ultraviolet light, usually in the near ultraviolet to near vacuum ultraviolet (to as short as 126 nm wavelength). Their efficiency isn’t terrible - modern ones can get around 10% conversion of electricity to laser light
	<ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7658751/#!po=57.6087 S. P. Obenschain <i>et al.</i>, “Direct drive with the argon fluoride laser as a path to high fusion gain with sub-megajoule laser energy”, Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci. 2020 Nov 13; 378(2184): 20200031.]</ref>		<ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7658751/#!po=57.6087 S. P. Obenschain <i>et al.</i>, “Direct drive with the argon fluoride laser as a path to high fusion gain with sub-megajoule laser energy”, Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci. 2020 Nov 13; 378(2184): 20200031.]</ref> - but not as good as solid state or fiber lasers. If you are looking for a modern technology that can explain ultraviolet lasers, excimers might be the lasers for you.
	- but not as good as solid state or fiber lasers. If you are looking for a modern technology that can explain ultraviolet lasers, excimers might be the lasers for you.
	<ref>M.C. Rao, “A Brief Introduction to Excimer Lasers: Fundamental Study”, International Journal of Advances in Pharmacy, Biology and Chemistry, Vol. 2(3), pp. 533-536, Jul-Sep, 2013</ref>		<ref>M.C. Rao, “A Brief Introduction to Excimer Lasers: Fundamental Study”, International Journal of Advances in Pharmacy, Biology and Chemistry, Vol. 2(3), pp. 533-536, Jul-Sep, 2013</ref>
	<ref>[https://www.rp-photonics.com/excimer_lasers.html RP Photonics Encyclopedia, “Excimer Lasers”]</ref>		<ref>[https://www.rp-photonics.com/excimer_lasers.html RP Photonics Encyclopedia, “Excimer Lasers”]</ref>

Lwcamp: /* Excimer lasers */

2022-06-26T18:29:57Z

Excimer lasers

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:29, 26 June 2022
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	==Excimer lasers==		==Excimer lasers==
	An excimer laser does some crazy stuff to get forbidden chemistry to happen between a halogen and a noble gas, and uses that unholy spawn of a reaction product to produce ultraviolet laser light. Excimer lasers can produce fairly high powered pulses of ultraviolet light, usually in the near ultraviolet to near vacuum ultraviolet (to as short as 126 nm wavelength). Their efficiency isn’t terrible - modern ones can get around 10% conversion of electricity to laser light - but not as good as solid state or fiber lasers. If you are looking for a modern technology that can explain ultraviolet lasers, excimers might be the lasers for you.		An excimer laser does some crazy stuff to get forbidden chemistry to happen between a halogen and a noble gas, and uses that unholy spawn of a reaction product to produce ultraviolet laser light. Excimer lasers can produce fairly high powered pulses of ultraviolet light, usually in the near ultraviolet to near vacuum ultraviolet (to as short as 126 nm wavelength). Their efficiency isn’t terrible - modern ones can get around 10% conversion of electricity to laser light
			<ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7658751/#!po=57.6087 S. P. Obenschain <i>et al.</i>, “Direct drive with the argon fluoride laser as a path to high fusion gain with sub-megajoule laser energy”, Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci. 2020 Nov 13; 378(2184): 20200031.]</ref>
			- but not as good as solid state or fiber lasers. If you are looking for a modern technology that can explain ultraviolet lasers, excimers might be the lasers for you.
	<ref>M.C. Rao, “A Brief Introduction to Excimer Lasers: Fundamental Study”, International Journal of Advances in Pharmacy, Biology and Chemistry, Vol. 2(3), pp. 533-536, Jul-Sep, 2013</ref>		<ref>M.C. Rao, “A Brief Introduction to Excimer Lasers: Fundamental Study”, International Journal of Advances in Pharmacy, Biology and Chemistry, Vol. 2(3), pp. 533-536, Jul-Sep, 2013</ref>
	<ref>[https://www.rp-photonics.com/excimer_lasers.html RP Photonics Encyclopedia, “Excimer Lasers”]</ref>		<ref>[https://www.rp-photonics.com/excimer_lasers.html RP Photonics Encyclopedia, “Excimer Lasers”]</ref>