ACRYLIC POLYMER LASER

         MODEL 90 OEM

Specifications PRELIMINARY, Subject to Revision(s)

Optical

Wavelength Range .........400-700nm

LASER Medium ...... Acrylic Polymer Materials (Acrylines)

Pump LASER Wavelength(s) ... 337 - 532nm

Output Energy ................ < 5 joules/pulse (Maximum)

Beam Diameter .............. 0.9 (Min.) - 20mm (Max.)

Pulse Duration ................ < 10 nanoseconds

Spatial Mode(s) ......TEMoo or Multimode (selectable)

Pump LASER Energy (Input) .... 20 joules, Maximum

Pulse Rep. Rate .............. < 25 Hz

Tuning Range ................ 30nm (Maximum with Single Dye Disc)

Broadband Output Range < 38nm (per Polymer Type)

Beam Quality ................. M < 2.5

Longitudinal Mode spacing .... < 650 Mhz with Narrow Tuner “MGP”

Pointing Stability ............... 5 microradians (Typical)

Clear Aperture .................. 20mm (Maximum)

LASER Class ................ IIIb – IV (DANGER- AVOID EXPOSURE

                                                       to Direct or Scattered Radiation)

Physical (for Type  Model 90i)

Height ......................... 3.0 inches

Width .......................... 3.0 inches

Length ........................ 15 inches

Weight ........................ 4.5 lbs. (2 Kg)

Material(s) .......... Anodized Aluminum

Color ........................... Black (Standard, others Optional)

Mounting ....................1/4 -20 THD. X 3 places (Bottom)

Temperature Range .... 5 – 30 degrees, C

Humidity (Environmental) .... < 80%

Shock and Vibration ..... < 4.1 G's

Adjustment Type .......... Micrometer Type, 90 pitch (Minimum)

Alignment of Mounts ..... < 2 degrees (Maximum, Typical)

PRESS RELEASE

DATELINE:    MAY, 2007     MELBOURNE,  FLORIDA

RE:  NEW PRODUCT AND TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT RELEASE

HOW TO DO MORE WITH YOUR Q-SWITCHED PULSE LASER

            How will we do more with our q-switched pulse laser(s)?  The world awaits measurements, analytics, instrumentation, controls, and documentation of phenomena using a full range of visible laser wavelengths.  Only, the fact of the matter is, there has been a shortage of solid-state laser sources, capable of operating over the entire visible wavelength range.  Today, Elk Industries, LLC is announcing the very ideal solution - the Acryline Acrylic Polymer LASER! This Revolutionary Solid-State LASER is capable of either Broadband or Narrow wavelength Tunable LASER Pulse Outputs. Pumping of the Acryline is either “Inline” (Linear), or Angle Pumped.  Since there are at least 6 different LASER materials to select from, Optical Pumping is a matter of working with the proper Pulse Duration and Repetition rates.  In the best applications, we experience consistent and reliable operation with Optical Pump LASER durations of <10 nanoseconds and repetition Rates of 20 Hz or less. At least theoretically, the Acryline will have the capacity to operate all the way down to the femtosecond range. However, this Emerging Technology is in it’s infancy and new designs and applications are sure to follow in the new future.  “These results are nothing short of phenomenal”, says Rob Elkins at Elk Industries.

            Currently, the Acryline is shipping to destinations around the globe.  The Applications of this development have been mainly in the field of dermatology or Energy Research.  Target applications for the Acryline LASERS include other medical uses, such as Biometrics, LASER Lithotripsy, cytoscopy, uteroscopy, LASER endoscopy, and LASER Microscopy. In the Energy Research applications, this new technology lends itself to LASER Isotope Separation, and general LASER Science. Elk Industries has a variety of optical sources available to provide testing and development of custom systems to meet the needs of a wide range of LASER uses.

            Historically, liquid laser dyes, and sometimes Optical Parametric Oscillators (OPO’s) have been utilized in attempts to fill this void in laser output spectral ranges.  Our solutions are solid-state pulse laser materials and associated lasers which can be optically pumped by lasers.  Optical pumps with typically narrow emission spectra, can now provide broadband or a wide range of tunable visible laser emissions.  The closest things which have been commercially available were pulse dye liquid lasers to meet these needs.  However, as a practical matter, the liquid dyes must be mixed prior to use, are sometimes known carcinogens, and typically employ the use of flammable solvents - not the type of situation one would like to have to resort to when working in the field.

            The design of this laser cannot get any simpler, either … it consists of a laser material (either solid or liquid dye), a high reflector, and an output coupler.  The only other parts are the optic mounts, the rigid mounting base, and optional focusing optic (lens or mirror).  An “inline” example of this arrangements appears in Figure 1.  For instances where wavelength selection needs are more critical, a diffraction grating can be introduced intra-cavity.  When even greater coherence lengths and spectral purity are required, an optional tuner accessory is available for use with the Acryline laser from Elk Industries. With a tuning assembly, narrow Laser emission linewidths can be produced, on the order of < 2 GHz. Near Diffraction Limited output beam quality (M? 1.2) is provided with a simple, stable, resonator design.  Beam diameters of

1.5 - 10mm are produced, which means this LASER species offers a unique opportunity for experimentation, control, and flexibility of operation.

            The construction of the laser is rugged and reliable, offering the true solution to “what’s next” for those with q-switched or other pulsed lasers with pulse durations of 20 nanoseconds or less.  This includes q-switched frequency doubled or tripled YAG lasers, Excimer, frequency doubled and q-switched ruby (and other solid-state pulse lasers), and pulsed nitrogen lasers.

            You might ask why a CW laser could not be used?  The answer to that question is one of dye laser physics.  In dye lasers, unwanted states can easily arise if either the pump laser duration or the length of time the dye is exposed to the pump laser is not kept very short.  In our most common testing systems this duration is ~1-20 X 10 e-9 seconds or 1 - 20 nanoseconds.  This keeps the duration of the pump laser short enough to use either the solid laser dye or a dye liquid in a “static” (non-flowing) system.  A technical paper has been published about this type of laser species on the Elk Industries website:  http://elkindustries.com/TechPapers.html

Performance of the Acryline Model 90 Laser is marked with great efficiency (factors of 25-35% typically).  Also, these lasers have very low thresholds (typically less than 5 millijoules/square millimeter) and very high gain coefficients (per pass > 6.0 alpha).  Solid-state dye discs are also very inexpensive when compared to YAG, ruby, TIS or other solid-state laser materials, and are much less fragile.

            The lifetimes of the solid dye or liquid dye is often >100 kilopulses (>100,000 pulses).  This life is long enough to serve for most needs. Depending on the pump laser intensity and corresponding area of irradiation upon the dye disc (solid dye), any “spent” area can be easily rotated out of the pump beam path.  However, if not, one can easily replace the solid dye disc.

If working with liquid dye, one can exchange the fluid dye liquid with the dye cuvette filled with freshly mixed dye liquid. 

            Lasers of the Acryline Series are available from stock to 4 weeks, as well as the wide variety of solid dye laser discs.  Standard solid dye discs are 1 inch in diameter (25.4mm) X

3mm - 7mm thick. Dye disc holders, pump optics, optical mounts, and dye liquid cells (dye cuvettes) can also be purchased separately.

            Elk Industries and R-K Manufacturing (now a division of Elk Industries, LLC) has been manufacturing high quality lasers for over 25 years, including pulse dye lasers.  And remember, Elk Industries can provide a number of different lasers capable of optical pumping for the solid or liquid dyes, too.  What more could you ask for in a pulsed visible laser? … or laser material?  If you can think of anything else you need, Elk Industries is ready to serve your Laser needs!

Figure 1.

CONTACT:

Mr. Robin Elkins

Elk Industries, LLC

2117 South Babcock Street

#106

Melbourne, Florida 32901

(321) 259-8114

FAX (321) 723-2739

email: LASEROB@aol.com

www.elkindustries.com