Diamond heat sink in a laser
A laser has a laser material in thermal contact with a diamond, such that the diamond is operable to carry heat away from the laser material. In further embodiments, the diamond has a reduced nitrogen content, is a reduced carbon-13 content, is a monocrystalline or multilayer low-strain diamond, or has a thermal conductivity of greater than 2200 W/mK.
1. A laser assembly, comprising:
a laser material comprising at least one of a non-semiconducting solid, a gas, a chemical or other non-semiconductor laser material;
a diamond in contact with the laser material, the diamond operable to transfer heat from the laser material, wherein the diamond has a thermal conductivity of greater than 2200 W/mK.
2. The laser assembly of claim 1 , wherein the diamond is a synthetic monocrystalline diamond.
3. The laser assembly of claim 1 , wherein the diamond comprises less than 1 ppm impurities.
4. The laser assembly of claim 1 , wherein the diamond has a thermal conductivity of greater than 2500 W/mK.
5. The laser assembly of claim 1 , wherein the diamond has a thermal conductivity of greater than 2700 W/mK.
6. The laser assembly of claim 1 , wherein the diamond has a thermal conductivity of greater than 3200 W/mK.
7. The laser assembly of claim 1 , wherein the diamond is isotopically enhanced with carbon-12 such that the resulting carbon-13 concentration is less than 1%.
8. The laser assembly of claim 1 , wherein the diamond is isotopically enhanced with carbon-12 such that the resulting carbon-13 concentration is less than 0.1%.
9. The laser assembly of claim 1 , wherein the diamond is isotopically enhanced with carbon-12 such that the resulting carbon-13 concentration is less than 0.001%.
10. The laser assembly of claim 1 , wherein the diamond is has a nitrogen concentration of less than 50 ppm.
11. The laser assembly of claim 1 , wherein the diamond is has a nitrogen concentration of less than 10 ppm.
12. The laser assembly of claim 1 , wherein the diamond is has a nitrogen concentration of less than 5 ppm.
13. The laser assembly of claim 1 , wherein the diamond is a low-strain multilayer monocrystalline CVD diamond, wherein the multiple layers of the multilayer diamond comprise different atomic composition.
14. A method of constructing a laser assembly, comprising:
configuring a diamond in contact with a laser material, the diamond operable to transfer heat from the laser material, the laser material comprising at least one of a non-semiconducting solid, a gas, a chemical or other non-semiconductor laser material.
15. The method of constructing a laser assembly of claim 14 , wherein the diamond is a synthetic monocrystalline diamond.
16. The method of constructing a laser assembly of claim 14 , wherein the diamond comprises less than 1 ppm of impurities.
17. The method of constructing a laser assembly of claim 14 , wherein the diamond has a thermal conductivity of greater than 2500 W/mK.
18. The method of constructing a laser assembly of claim 14 , wherein the diamond has a thermal conductivity of greater than 2700 W/mK.
19. The method of constructing a laser assembly of claim 14 , wherein the diamond has a thermal conductivity of greater than 3200 W/mK.
20. The method of constructing a laser assembly of claim 14 , wherein the diamond is isotopically enhanced with carbon-12 such that the resulting carbon-13 concentration is less than 1%.
21. The method of constructing a laser assembly of claim 14 , wherein the diamond is isotopically enhanced with carbon-12 such that the resulting carbon-13 concentration is less than 0.1%.
22. The method of constructing a laser assembly of claim 14 , wherein the diamond is isotopically enhanced with carbon-12 such that the resulting carbon-13 concentration is less than 0.001%.
23. The method of constructing a laser assembly of claim 14 , wherein the diamond is has a nitrogen concentration of less than 50 ppm.
24. The method of constructing a laser assembly of claim 14 , wherein the diamond is has a nitrogen concentration of less than 10 ppm.
25. The method of constructing a laser assembly of claim 14 , wherein the diamond is has a nitrogen concentration of less than 5 ppm.
26. The method of constructing a laser assembly of claim 14 , wherein the diamond is a low-strain multilayer monocrystalline CVD diamond, wherein the multiple layers of the multilayer diamond comprise different atomic composition.
27. A method of constructing a semiconductor laser, comprising:
forming an n-type semiconductor in contact with a p-type semiconductor to form a semiconductor p-n junction having a laser active region at the junction; and
coupling at least one layer of diamond to the n-type semiconductor, the p-type semiconductor, or the p-n junction, wherein the diamond has a thermal conductivity of greater than 2200 W/mK;
wherein the at least one layer of diamond comprises at least one of the p-type material used to form the p-n junction or the n-type material used to form the p-n junction.
28. The semiconductor laser of claim 27 , wherein the at least one layer of diamond is a substrate on which the semiconductor p-n junction is constructed.
29. A method of operating a laser assembly comprising:
carrying heat away from a laser material via a diamond in thermal contact with the laser material, wherein the diamond has a thermal conductivity of greater than 2200 W/mK, and wherein the laser material comprises at least one of a non-semiconducting solid, a gas, a chemical or other non-semiconductor laser material.
30. The method of operating a laser assembly of claim 29 , wherein the diamond is a synthetic monocrystalline diamond.
31. The method of operating a laser assembly of claim 29 , wherein the diamond comprises impurities of less than 1 ppm.
32. The method of operating a laser assembly of claim 29 , wherein the diamond has a thermal conductivity of greater than 2500 W/mK.
33. The method of operating a laser assembly of claim 29 , wherein the diamond has a thermal conductivity of greater than 2700 W/mK.
34. The method of operating a laser assembly of claim 29 , wherein the diamond has a thermal conductivity of greater than 3200 W/mK.
35. The method of operating a laser assembly of claim 29 , wherein the diamond is isotopically enhanced with carbon-12 such that the resulting carbon-13 concentration is less than 1%.
36. The method of operating a laser assembly of claim 29 , wherein the diamond is isotopically enhanced with carbon-12 such that the resulting carbon-13 concentration is less than 0.1%.
37. The method of operating a laser assembly of claim 29 , wherein the diamond is isotopically enhanced with carbon-12 such that the resulting carbon-13 concentration is less than 0.001%.
38. The method of operating a laser assembly of claim 29 , wherein the diamond is has a nitrogen concentration of less than 50 ppm.
39. The method of operating a laser assembly of claim 29 , wherein the diamond is has a nitrogen concentration of less than 10 ppm.
40. The method of operating a laser assembly of claim 29 , wherein the diamond is has a nitrogen concentration of less than 5 ppm.
41. The method of operating a laser assembly of claim 29 , wherein the diamond is a low-strain multilayer monocrystalline CVD diamond, wherein the multiple layers of the multilayer diamond comprise different atomic composition.
42. A method of operating a semiconductor laser, comprising:
cooling a laser active region of a semiconductor p-n junction with at least one layer of diamond coupled to the p-n junction or the laser active region, wherein the diamond has a thermal conductivity of greater than 2200 W/mK, wherein the at least one layer of diamond comprises at least one p-type material used to form the p-n junction, n-type material used to form the p-n junction, and the laser active region.
43. The method of operating a semiconductor laser of claim 42 , wherein the at least one layer of diamond is a substrate on which the semiconductor p-n junction and active region are constructed.