Solar-pumped laser
A solar-pumped laser (or solar-powered laser) is a
Lasing media
The two most studied lasing media for solar-pumped lasers have been iodine,[1] with a laser wavelength of 1.31 micrometers, and NdCrYAG, which lases at 1.06 micrometers wavelength. Solar-pumped semiconductor lasers have also been proposed by Landis[2] and others.[3]
Applications
Solar-pumped lasers are not used commercially because the low cost of electricity in most locations means that other more efficient types of lasers that run on electrical power can be more economically used. Solar pumped lasers might become useful in off-grid locations.
Nanopowders
Very fine grained dispersed powders can be produced by the use of laser synthesis technology.[4]
Hydrogen production
A leader in this field is Shigeaki Uchida and his team in Japan (Tokyo/Osaka).[5] Their design uses Fresnel lenses and a solar-pumped NdCrYAG laser to drive a magnesium-based cycle, which produces hydrogen gas as its product.[6]
Potential spacecraft applications
Since there is no 'grid' power in space, most spacecraft today use solar power sources, mostly
Space propulsion
There have been proposals to use solar-pumped lasers for spacecraft beam-powered propulsion.
Solar power satellite
There have been proposals to use solar-pumped lasers for space-based solar power.
Solar-energy conversion
There have been proposals to use solar-pumped laser for solar-energy conversion, shown how to efficiently convert solar into electrical energy, taking advantage of laser amplification and intra-cavity use of a low-efficiency converter such as PV cells. [8]
Current research
A proposal to use the
See also
References
- ^ De Young et al. Preliminary Design and Cost of a 1-Megawatt Solar-Pumped Iodide Laser Space-to-Space Transmission Station, NASA Technical Memorandum, 1987 (Original version, WebCite archive), Retrieved 2011-06-23
- ^ G.A. Landis, "New Approaches for a Solar-Pumped GaAs Laser," Optics Communications, 92, pp 261-265 (1992). (Abstract)
- ^ I.M. Tsidulko, "Semiconductor Laser Pumped by Solar Radiation," Soviet Journal of Quantum Electronics 22 (5), pp. 463-466 (1992).
- ^
Sh. D. Payziyeva; S. A. Bakhramov; A. K. Kasimov. "Transformation of concentrated sunlight into laser radiation on small parabolic concentrators". Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy. 3 (5). Scientific and Production Association “Akadempribor”, Tashkent 100125, Uzbekistan: American Institute of Physics.
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: CS1 maint: location (link) - ^ "Can Lasers Help Decrease Our Dependence on Fossil Fuels?". Archived from the original on 2016-05-15. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
- ^ "Solar light pumped laser and cooling method of solar light pumped laser, USPTO Application #: 20080225912". Archived from the original on 2012-02-17. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
- ^ Geoffrey A. Landis, "Prospects for Solar Pumped Semiconductor Lasers," Paper SPIE 2121-09, Laser Power Beaming, SPIE Proceedings Volume 2121, pp. 58-65, January 27–28, 1994 (web version access date 2009-11-10)
- ^
I. Jiménez; S. Wallentowitz. "Intra-cavity laser-assisted solar-energy conversion". Optical Society of America.
- ISBN 0-7803-9130-6.
- ^ "Parabolic mirrors concentrate sunlight to power lasers". Retrieved 2019-08-13.
- .
- ^ a b Duncan Graham-Rowe (September 19, 2007). "Solar-Powered Laser". MIT Technology Review.
- ^ Applied Physics Letters (2007), cited in [12]