Gas discharge lamps are routinely used as optical pump sources for solid state lasers. The two main categories of laser pump lamps are DC arclamps for continuous pumping, and flashlamps for pulsed pumping. Both offer high brightness, high power capability, long operating life, and low cost per hour of operation.

How They Work
An electric current is discharged through a gas-filled quartz tube, generating a hot plasma. This plasma radiates intense light which can be coupled into a laser crystal, optically exciting the laser medium. For Nd:YAG lasers, lamps filled with the noble gases Xenon and Krypton are frequently selected as they are most efficient at radiating wavelengths of light which are in the excitation spectrum of the Nd atoms and are readily absorbed by the Nd:YAG crystal.

Flashlamps

Flashlamps are operated in a pulsed mode; they discharge high current pulses (hundreds of amps) ranging in duration from .1 to 20.0 milliseconds. They are filled with either Krypton or Xenon: Krypton is more efficient at low currents and Xenon at high currents. Fill pressures are usually less than one atmosphere to help prevent explosions during the highly energetic current pulses.

DC Arclamps

DC Arclamps are operated in a continuous wave (CW) mode and discharge a constant current in the 10-40 Amp range between 100-250 Volts. The continuous light radiated induces constant gain in the Nd:YAG rod, generating a continuous laser beam. Krypton gas is almost always selected for CW applications because it is more efficient than Xenon at these power levels; in fact, these lamps are universally known as Krypton arclamps. For increased efficiency, they are filled to very high pressures, typically 5-10 atmospheres. Violent explosions can result from mishandling, so safety glasses should be worn during handling and installation.

Product Line

We carry flashlamps and arc lamps for lasers used in industrial, medical, and scientific applications. We are the exclusive North American distributor for Heraeus Noblelight (www.heraeus-noblelight.co.uk) lamps. Heraeus Noblelight has an unsurpassed record of achievement in the manufacture of pulse and continuous arc lamps. All lamps are designed and build in Cambridge, England. With Heraeus Noblelight’s unsurpassed testing facilities, stringent specifications, and an ISO 9001 registered quality system you are assured that every lamp performs consistently and reliably.

For more details in lamp operation and manufacturing, please see our catalog pages 110-113. (click here to view the catalog , *.pdf)