A laser is disclosed having a housing formed of a block of glass-ceramic. The block is machined (or otherwise formed) to define one or more channels that act as a waveguide in two dimensions for light within the laser resonator. The channels extend between cavities also formed within the block which retain optical components of the laser, e.g. one or more of the gain medium, cavity mirrors, intermediate reflectors etc. The positioning, shape and size of each cavity is bespoke for the optical component it holds in order that each optical component is retained in optical alignment rigidly against the sides of the cavity.

A steerable laser transmitter and active situational awareness sensor that achieves SWaP-C, steering rate and spectral diversity improvements by scanning a beam with a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) Micro-Minor Array (MMA). One or more sections of non-linear material (NLM) positioned in the optical path (e.g. as annular sections around a conic mirror or as reflective optical coatings on the MMA) are used to convert the wavelength of the beam to a different wavelength while preserving the steering of the beam. The MEMS MMA may include piston actuation of the mirrors to shape the spot-beam.

An optical oscillator according to an embodiment includes a first reflecting portion that transmits light having a first wavelength and reflects light having a second wavelength different from the first wavelength, a second reflecting portion that forms an unstable resonator together with the first reflecting portion and reflect light having the second wavelength, a laser medium that is disposed between the first reflecting portion and the second reflecting portion and emits light having the second wavelength due to incidence of light having the first wavelength, and a saturable absorption portion disposed on a side opposite to the first reflecting portion when viewed from the laser medium in the one direction, the first reflecting portion includes an incidence surface on which light having the first wavelength is incident, on a side opposite to the laser medium, a size of the second reflecting portion is smaller than a size of the first reflecting portion when viewed in the one direction, at least a part of a surface of the saturable absorption body on the side opposite to the laser medium includes a curved region curved toward the laser medium side, and the second reflecting portion is a dielectric multilayer film provided in the curved region.

A method for preparing an erbium (Er)- or erbium oxygen (Er/O)-doped silicon-based luminescent material emitting a communication band at room temperature. The method comprising the following steps: (a) doping a single crystalline silicon wafer with erbium ion implantation or co-doping the single crystalline silicon wafer with erbium ion and oxygen ion implantation simultaneously to obtain an Er- or Er/O-doped silicon wafer, wherein the single crystalline silicon wafer is a silicon wafer with a germanium epitaxial layer, or an SOI silicon wafer with silicon on an insulating layer or other silicon-based wafers; and (b) subjecting the Er- or Er/O-doped silicon wafer to a deep-cooling annealing treatment, the deep-cooling annealing treatment includes a temperature increasing process and a rapid cooling process.

A CW laser with a rotating ring gain element is disclosed. The ring is pumped at multiple locations and the laser generates a mid-IR output. Multiple pumped gain portions of the ring provide a power scaled output. The gain portions may be positioned in a single resonator cavity, in multiple resonator cavities, and in MOPA architectures with associated focusing, folding, and combining optical elements.

A CW laser with a rotating ring gain element is disclosed. The ring is pumped at multiple locations and the laser generates a mid-IR output. Multiple pumped gain portions of the ring provide a power scaled output. The gain portions may be positioned in a single resonator cavity, in multiple resonator cavities, and in MOPA architectures with associated focusing, folding, and combining optical elements.

A laser ignition device includes a laser oscillation optical system that produces pulsed laser light, a condensing optical element that condenses the pulsed laser light into a combustion chamber, a housing that internally contains the condensing optical element, and an optical window that is provided distally with respect to the condensing optical element in the housing and transmits the pulsed laser light. The pulsed laser light is shaped as a ring around an optical axis at least at a light passage position in the optical window.

A method for preparing an erbium (Er)- or erbium oxygen (Er/O)-doped silicon-based luminescent material emitting a communication band at room temperature. The method comprising the following steps: (a) doping a single crystalline silicon wafer with erbium ion implantation or co-doping the single crystalline silicon wafer with erbium ion and oxygen ion implantation simultaneously to obtain an Er- or Er/O-doped silicon wafer, wherein the single crystalline silicon wafer is a silicon wafer with a germanium epitaxial layer, or an SOI silicon wafer with silicon on an insulating layer or other silicon-based wafers; and (b) subjecting the Er- or Er/O-doped silicon wafer to a deep-cooling annealing treatment, the deep-cooling annealing treatment includes a temperature increasing process and a rapid cooling process.

A laser is disclosed having a housing formed of a block of glass-ceramic. The block is machined (or otherwise formed) to define one or more channels that act as a waveguide in two dimensions for light within the laser resonator. The channels extend between cavities also formed within the block which retain optical components of the laser, e.g. one or more of the gain medium, cavity mirrors, intermediate reflectors etc. The positioning, shape and size of each cavity is bespoke for the optical component it holds in order that each optical component is retained in optical alignment rigidly against the sides of the cavity.

Materials, method of making and methods of using a composite laser for producing multiple temporal ignition pulses. The composite laser includes a pump source forming an optical path in an active media in a cavity of the laser; and a Q-switched material located in a center of a rod in communication with the active media and blocking a portion of the active media.