What is a laser pump source
A laser pump source is a device that provides energy to a laser gain medium, which is typically a solid, liquid or gas. The pump source is used to excite the atoms or molecules in the gain medium to a higher energy state, creating a population inversion. This population inversion then allows the laser to emit coherent light when stimulated by an external energy source, such as an optical cavity or mirrors.In other words, a laser pump source is used to supply the initial energy to a laser system, enabling it to produce a high-intensity, coherent beam of light. The pump source can be in the form of an electric discharge, flashlamp, or a diode laser. The choice of pump source depends on the specific type of laser, its application, and desired performance characteristics.Different types of laser pump sources have different characteristics such as wavelength, output power, spectral linewidth, pulse duration, and beam quality. These properties determine the overall performance of the laser system, and they can have a significant impact on the laser’s suitability for different applications.Overall, the pump source is a crucial component of a laser system, and its selection is an important consideration when designing and building a laser for a particular application.
What is 976nm
The graph above shows the relative absorption of silico-aluminate and silicate phosphate (YB) fibres in the 800-1100 nm spectrum. It is clear that there are two strong absorption peaks, in the 915 nm and 976 nm bands, so that the pump light band normally used for fibre lasers is either 915 nm or 976 nm.
Why 915nm laser pump sources have been widely used in the market in the past？
The 915nm technology is more in line with the industrial mass production technology route, as the 976nm pump source temperature changes have a greater impact on the performance, and the 915nm technology is more in line with the industrial mass production technology route, as the 976nm pump source temperature changes have a greater impact on the performance, and the 915nm technology is more in line with the industrial mass production technology route, as the 976nm pump source temperature changes have a greater impact on the performance. Industrial production has high requirements for laser cooling and temperature control in complex environments. In the past, before the 976nm laser pump source technology matured, 915nm technology was more in line with industrial mass production.Today, with the gradual improvement of fibre laser technology and the development of water-cooled units, high-power lasers basically use water-cooled cooling, which is more accurate in temperature control and can prevent the wavelength drift of the LD pump source and ensure the pump absorption efficiency of the laser.976nm laser pump source technology has been able to operate stably in complex industrial production.
Advantages of the 976nm laser pump source
Lower running costs
Taking a 12kW high power laser with 976nm technology as an example, compared with other 915nm pump lasers of the same power, the annual power saving is more than 60,000 yuan under the same usage environment (the following estimates) table, the specifics prevail). With the price of high power lasers continuing to fall today, the competitive advantage is extremely clear.
Let’s take 12kw as an example, at an electricity price of 0.237 (EUR) kw/h, the annual electricity saving is over 19,000 euros for the same usage environment (estimation table above, subject to specifics). In today’s world of mass industrial production, the competitive advantage is extremely clear.
Higher energy density
The single-cavity, single-mode 3000W achieves 20um optical output with an M2 (beam quality) of less than 1.3 and an energy density of 2.4 million watts/mm2, which is currently the physical limit for industrial fibre lasers, and it is based on a 976nm pumping technology solution that achieves this energy density.
Q&A
Q:Is 976nm pumping a new technology?
A:976nm pumping is not a new technology. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, both 915nm and 976nm LD pump sources were used for laser pumping, and by 2004, 976nm pump sources could be used to achieve kilowatt laser output. By now, this technology has been used as a routine technology, especially for research users who have special requirements for lasers. Currently commercially available wavelength-locked LDs of several hundred watts or even several kilowatts can control the temperature drift coefficient to within 0.01nm/°C. Wavelength pumping such as 976nm has become indispensable for impacting high power lasers. The numerical aperture of the LD output fibre is also being optimised, from 0.22 to 0.15 or even 0.13, creating favourable conditions for the effective reception of higher power pumped light by the combiner, allowing it to further increase laser output power.DENALI laser welder uses a 976nm laser pump source (with an electro-optical conversion efficiency of up to 48%) and offers the ability to weld/cut highly reflective materials (can weld purple copper) and can be equipped with a dual oscillating laser head. For more information, please contact our staff.
Development trends
The 976nm pumping solution has significant energy saving characteristics because of its photoelectric conversion efficiency of over 40%, compared to the 25-30% of 915nm pumping. Taking a 10kW laser with 976nm pumping technology as an example, a 976nm pumped laser will save an extremely large amount of electricity consumption in a year compared to other technology routes, and the energy saving cost over the whole life time is close to or may even be higher than the price of a laser in the future, which is an extremely obvious competitive advantage.The trend for 976nm pumping technology to become the mainstream technology route for high power fibre lasers with higher photoelectric conversion efficiency is becoming more and more obvious, and will continue to drive a new generation of high power fibre lasers to upgrade the technology, improve the cost performance and accelerate the penetration of applications in general processing scenarios.
