Title :
A solar-pumped micro-rod laser for energy conversion
Author :
Hasegawa, Kazuo ; Ito, Hiroshi ; Mizuo, Shintaro
Author_Institution :
Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc., Nagakute, Japan
Abstract :
Solar-pumped laser was realized by the natural sunlight excitation using an optical system incorporating an off-axis parabolic mirror to achieve a high concentrating ratio (10,626 Suns). Nd/Cr:YAG transparent ceramics (1×1×5mm3) were adopted as a gain medium, providing high quantum efficiency and energy transfer between Nd and Cr ions. The laser threshold was 14.6mW, the slope efficiency was 4.28%, and the total efficiency was 3.20%.
Keywords :
ceramics; chromium; direct energy conversion; laser mirrors; neodymium; optical pumping; quantum optics; solid lasers; Cr ions; Nd ions; YAG:Nd,Cr; energy conversion; energy transfer; laser threshold; natural sunlight excitation; off-axis parabolic mirror; optical system; quantum efficiency; solar-pumped microrod laser; transparent ceramics; Mirrors; Neodymium; Optical pumping; Pump lasers; Surface emitting lasers; enegy conversion; off-axis parabolic mirror; solar-pumped laser; tranparent ceramics;
Conference_Titel :
Photonics Conference (PHO), 2011 IEEE
Conference_Location :
Arlington, VA
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4244-8940-4
DOI :
10.1109/PHO.2011.6110853
