Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/H67324/01
Title:	SCIOS PROJECT-LASER SOURCES (SCIOS)
Principal Investigator:	Sibbett, Professor W
Other Investigators:	Dunn, Professor MH Sinclair, Dr B
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Physics and Astronomy
Organisation:	University of St Andrews
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 August 1992	Ends:	31 October 1994	Value (£):	304,359
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Lasers & Optics Optoelect. Devices & Circuits
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Within the Scottish Collaborative Initiative on Optoelectronic Sciences SCIOS we are primarily interested in two-dimensional optical and optoelectronic processing techniques. Our particular priorities relate to the design, construction and subsequent implementation of all-solid-state laser sources in novel demonstrator-type arrangements.Progress:In this collaborative Rolling Grant we have been concentrating so far on the development of diode-laser pumped minilasers that can be designed to meet quite exacting operational specifications. Specifically, our aim has been to demonstrate Nd:YAG(YLF) minilasers having state-of-the-art beam pointing stability and intensity stability. To date, we have achieved this with novel pumping and resonator geometries such that single transverse and single longitudinal mode beam quality has been demonstrated in the multi-Watt average power regime. (The design aspects of our laser have been licensed to Edinburgh Instruments Ltd.) To provide tunability of our laser source in the 1-m spectral region that is compatible with the InGaAs SEED devices produced by our collaborating Glasgow researchers, we have pursued two approaches. The first has been to build a CW optical parametric oscillator (OPO) that was pumped by our intracavity-frequency-doubled Nd:YLF minilaser of our inhouse design. This KTP-based OPO has produced suitably tunable outputs at power levels around 100mW. Our second approach relates to the operation of a minilaser-pumped titanium-sapphire laser which lases at wavelengths in the 1-m regime. For this long-wavelength operation in Ti:A12O3 a green pump power 3W is required and a power-scaled, frequency-doubled Nd:YAG minilaser is currently being developed for this purpose Additionally, with a green pump power at this level we will use a minilaser-pumped Ti:A12O3 laser as a tunable source around 850nm for the powering of GaAs SEED devices. To address objectives regarding readily modulatable sources in the SCIOS context, we are also evaluating schemes for the beam refinement and amplification of broadstripe and array laser diodes. The target powers for such diode sources are in excess of 1W and modulation in the Gbits/s will be required for the optoelectronic processors. (In this topic area we will be interacting with Glasgow University and with Professor Whites group at Bath University where the latter have specialist expertise in flared semiconductor amplifiers.) To date, we have been assessing techniques of beam refinement based upon injection seeding techniques and ongoing studies relate to the use of specially designed micro-optical schemes. With each option we believe that we can design compact and robust, high beam quality diode laser sources that will have the necessary compatibility with modulation at the Gbits/s rate.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.st-and.ac.uk