IPG Photonics has been granted a patent for a laser system that uses a frequency converter to convert light from a fundamental frequency to a higher harmonic. The frequency converter is based on a SrB4O7 or PbB4O7 crystal with uniform domains and alternating polarities, enabling quasi-phase-matching. The crystal domains have highly parallel walls that deviate less than 1 micron over a 10 mm distance. GlobalData’s report on IPG Photonics gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
Smarter leaders trust GlobalData
Access deeper industry intelligence
Experience unmatched clarity with a single platform that combines unique data, AI, and human expertise.
According to GlobalData’s company profile on IPG Photonics, Welding robots was a key innovation area identified from patents. IPG Photonics's grant share as of September 2023 was 50%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Frequency converter using sbo/pbo crystal for laser system
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11719993B2) describes a laser system that utilizes a frequency converter to convert light at a fundamental frequency into higher harmonics. The frequency converter includes a crystal made of either Strontium Tetraborate SrB4O7 (SBO) or Lead Tetraborate PbB4O7 (PBO), which is configured with uniform domains that have periodically alternating polarities. This configuration enables quasi-phase-matching (QPM), allowing for efficient conversion of the fundamental frequency into higher harmonics.
The laser system can generate various higher harmonics, including second, third, fourth, and fifth harmonics, as well as combinations of these harmonics. In one embodiment, the SBO/PBO crystal outputs single-mode light at a wavelength of approximately 130 nm and an average power of at least 10 W at the fourth harmonic.
Additionally, the SBO/PBO crystal can provide optical parametric interactions, expanding the functionality of the laser system. The crystal has a thickness for visible to deep ultraviolet (VIS-DUV) light ranging from 0.2 µm to about 20 µm and a clear aperture diameter ranging from 1 mm to about 5 cm.
The laser source in the system can operate in various modes, including continuous wave (CW), quasi-continuous wave (QCW), or pulsed regimes. It can be a solid-state laser, such as a fiber laser, yttrium aluminum glass (YAG) laser, or disk laser, with a gain medium doped with light-emitting dopants from rare-earth elements. The laser source outputs light in the 1 to 2 µm wavelength range.
The laser system can be configured with a master-oscillator (MO) power amplifier (PA) configuration and can output a train of pulses in the nanosecond to picosecond pulse duration range.
The frequency converter in the system can include a single, monolithic slab of SBO/PBO crystal with two different domain periods. Light at the fundamental frequency propagates through the slab, with the upstream end providing the period for second harmonic generation (SHG) and the downstream end having the period for the higher harmonic.
The uniform domains in the SBO/PBO crystal have highly parallel walls, deviating from each other by less than 1 µm over a 10 mm distance.
Overall, this patented laser system offers a versatile and efficient method for generating higher harmonics using a frequency converter based on SBO/PBO crystals with uniform domains and quasi-phase-matching capabilities.
To know more about GlobalData’s detailed insights on IPG Photonics, buy the report here.
Data Insights
From
The gold standard of business intelligence.
Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalData’s unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode what’s happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors.
GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
