Cavity Pics

[platinum]

Just looked it up, it comes out of an Alcon Eyelase

That part of the name just sounds wrong although I'm sure it was chosen since the laser was to be used for ophthalmological surgery of some sort.

-Jonathan

[FourDee]

Alcon eyeLITE

[Laser Ben]

I thought you guys might like a update

I was having trouble getting the interlocks and other useless signals I needed to run the laser with the stock driver. I sent it off to a friend (Hologeek on here) and he got it running with his unit. He was nice enough to let me borrow the controller unit from the factory which I have now.

Anyways, I got the driver back and hooked it up and got no output despite being having TONs of pump power clearly visable through OD9 goggles

I set the laser up to align it with my Sapphire 488 unit (only because it has the best beam specs ) and figured out that it was WAY out of alignment, I mean WAY out. Mirrors wern't even pointing in the correct direction (ie, the beam was not going where it should have been going...

I realigned the laser using the Sapphire and got the beam to go from the rear reflector and come out where the aperture should be. I covered it all up and turned it on and more nothing. So I tried aligning it at a different angle while it was running to try and get some green. The first mirror I went to to change gave me a bright flash of green. I got it bolted back down with ~30mW output.

Next I figured out that the beam was hitting the side of the KTP oven so I loosened it up and adjusted it (while burning my fingers on it) and got the power up to a huge ~250mW. I finally figured out that it was also clipping the back of one of the exit bounce mirrors so I adjusted that and got the power up to ~430mW which is where it is sitting now.

My "employer", one of the guys who invented the NPRO crystals said he would have a go at it when I go back to work on Tuesday next week.

Here are some pictures. They don't show the amazingness of the cavity when lit, but they are pretty cool in my mind.

Click to enlarge