Novel solid-state laser design
Post Date: 16 Jan 2009 Viewed: 891
Scotland, have started work on a three and a half year project to develop
a novel solid-state laser design incorporating CVD (chemical vapour
deposition) diamond manufactured by Element Six.
Element Six leads the world in the field of CVD
diamond synthesis and a new development
of a diamond Raman laser could open up a raft of
new application areas in, for example, underwater
imaging, medical imaging, ophthalmology, cancer
therapy and multispectral imaging.
The use of diamond as a solid-state laser
material opens up new opportunities to design
small, compact solid state lasers with greater
power handling capabilities and operating at
currently unavailable wavelengths so opening
up new application areas. Diamond has a unique
combination of optical and thermal properties
that make it suitable for this application and these
properties can be exploited through the latest
single crystal CVD material produced by Element
Six. Raman lasers have already been
developed using materials such as silicon, for
example, and are used in telecommunications, but
the use of diamond could move their capabilities
to new power levels and wavelengths.