SBIR-STTR Award

Dye lasers are utilized in a variety of scientific, commercial, and military applications, primarily due to their ability to be tuned over a broad spectral range covering the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared. The efficiency of dye lasers is low, primarily due to the low efficiency of optical sources used for dye excitation. In recent years, semiconductor diode lasers have been widely developed as single elements, linear arrays, and 2-dimensional arrays. Furthermore, significant progress has been made in the power levels available from single diodes and diode arrays, and shorter and shorter wavelengths are becoming available. Single diodes can have wall plug efficiencies in excess of 45% whereas diode arrays have reported efficiencies in the range of 30-40%. We propose, during a phase i program, to comprehensively study the use of diode lasers and arrays in pumping dye lasers. Analysis has shown that a dramatic increase in dye laser efficiency can be realized by using diodes as pump sources. In addition, considerable flexibility in dye laser design and wavelength agility may be achieved. During a phase ii follow-on program, we propose to demonstrate an optimized diode-pump dye laser system

Dye lasers are utilized in a wide variety of scientific, commercial, and military applications, primarily due to their ability to provide continuous tuning across a broad spectral range covering the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared. dye lasers are notoriously inefficient, primarily due to inefficiencies of the lasers used to pump then (argon, doubled Nd:YAG, nitrogen, excimer, etc.) During our recently completed Phase I contract, we studied the possibility of directly pumping dye lasers using already existing efficient semiconductor diode lasers, resulting in an efficient dye laser system. In addition to proving the feasibility of the approach, we identified a number of promising candidate dye/diode systems. We propose, during the Phase II effort described in this proposal, to determine the lazing parameters of, and demonstrate assisted and direct diode-pumping of two dyes in the continuous wave (CW) mode. In addition, we propose to extend the operation of at least one diode-pumped dye lapser to the pulsed mode. Significant increases in the efficiency of dye lasers will be demonstrated during the proposed program.