An improved dental laser system has been developed to cut enamel quickly and precisely, without detrimental residual energy, to provide a replacement for conventional high speed rotary burrs and commercially available dental laser systems.

A CO.sub.2 laser that generates laser-radiation in just one emission band of a CO.sub.2 gas-mixture has resonator mirrors that form an unstable resonator and at least one spectrally-selective element located on the optical axis of the resonator. The spectrally-selective element may be in the form of one or more protruding or recessed surfaces. Spectral-selectivity is enhanced by forming a stable resonator along the optical axis that includes the spectrally-selective element. The CO.sub.2 laser is tunable between emission bands by translating the spectrally-selective element along the optical axis.

A method for ablating an optical fiber includes generating a laser beam for a plurality of discrete time periods. The laser beam impacts and ablates the optical fiber during each discrete time period. Each discrete impact of the laser beam during one of the plurality of discrete time periods is at a different location on a surface of the cladding. The ablation of the optical fiber during the plurality of discrete time periods forms a plurality of discrete craters. The plurality of discrete craters are spaced apart from each other in an array which extends along a longitudinal axis of the optical fiber and about a circumference of the optical fiber. An ablated end fiber includes a core, a cladding surrounding the core, and a plurality of discrete craters defined in the ablated end fiber.

An extreme ultraviolet light (EUV) generation system is configured to improve conversion efficiency of energy of a laser system to EUV energy by improving the efficiency of plasma generation. The EUV generation system includes a target generation unit configured to output a target toward a plasma generation region in a chamber. The laser system is configured to generate a first pre-pulse laser beam, a second pre-pulse laser beam, and a main pulse laser beam so that the target is irradiated with the first pre-pulse laser beam, the second pre-pulse laser beam, and the main pulse laser beam in this order. In addition, the EUV generation system includes a controller configured to control the laser system so that a fluence of the second pre-pulse laser beam is equal to or higher than 1 J/cm.sup.2 and equal to or lower than a fluence of the main pulse laser beam.

The disclosed invention relates to an improved system and method for treatment of soft tissue, e.g., for treatment of a snoring condition. The system can include a laser source; a hand piece; and a device for directing radiation emitted by the laser source to a treatment area (e.g., an oral treatment area). In some cases, the handpiece can include an optical element (e.g., a lens) mounted within a replaceable cartridge and adapted to modulate a laser beam such that it is non-ablative, prior to its delivery to a treatment region. In various embodiments, the system includes a CO2 laser capable of performing treatment in a more efficient manner than conventional techniques.

The disclosure generally relates to laser power control. An example method includes obtaining data regarding laser output and input applicable to a CO2 laser generating system, and using the obtained data to generate an estimated correspondence relationship between input parameter and laser power output. Responsive to an indication of a target power output of laser, configuring the input parameter to control the CO2 laser generating system in accordance with the estimated correspondence relationship, thereby causing a resultant laser output.

A laser source includes a first laser device configured to generate a first laser beam having a first wavelength, a second laser device configured to generate a second laser beam having a second wavelength, which is different from the first wavelength, and a non-linear crystal configured to receive simultaneously the first and second laser beams and to generate a third laser beam that has a third wavelength, which is larger than each of the first and second wavelengths. The non-linear crystal has a length and a width, and a variable poling period is distributed across the width so that the third wavelength varies within a given wavelength range based on an incident position of the first and second laser beams along the width of the non-linear crystal.

A radio frequency laser includes: a power box, a radio frequency cavity, an electrode, and a first metal blocking ring. A bottom plate of the power box is provided with a first installation hole and a first installation groove, and the first installation groove is arranged around the first installation hole. A top plate of the radio frequency cavity is provided with a second installation hole and a second installation groove, and the second installation groove is arranged around the second installation hole. When the power box is assembled with the radio frequency cavity, the second installation hole corresponds to the first installation hole, and the second installation groove corresponds to the first installation groove.

A CO.sub.2 laser that generates laser-radiation in just one emission band of a CO.sub.2 gas-mixture has resonator mirrors that form an unstable resonator and at least one spectrally-selective element located on the optical axis of the resonator. The spectrally-selective element may be in the form of one or more protruding or recessed surfaces. Spectral-selectivity is enhanced by forming a stable resonator along the optical axis that includes the spectrally-selective element. The CO.sub.2 laser is tunable between emission bands by translating the spectrally-selective element along the optical axis.

Disclosed is a laser system including a first laser and a second laser. The first laser includes a laser cavity, and a gas phase molecular gain medium disposed in the laser cavity, the gain medium having an absorption band. The second laser is a solid state laser configured to be continuously tunable, with respect to an emission wavelength of the second laser, over the absorption band of the gain medium, and the second laser is tuned to pump rotational vibrational transitions in the gain medium to achieve a rotational population inversion.