Technology

Unilase technology is based on side-pumped slab designs that offer a natural route for power scaling laser and amplifier output by providing independent control over pump delivery, cavity geometry and thermal management. Such flexibility allows for robust and compact designs with very high overall efficiency. Unilase Ltd is not encumbered by prior art IP and all arising IP from projects commissioned by customers belongs to the customer in their field of commercial exploitation.

Below you can view a selection of publications highlighting laser architectures and technologies developed in the past:

Meizhen Liang, Ara Minassian, and Michael J Damzen, “High-energy acousto-optic Q-switched alexandrite laser with wavelength tunable fundamental and UV second harmonic generation,” Optics Express Vol. 31, Issue 25, pp. 42428-42438 (2023)
Goronwy Tawy, Ara Minassian, and Michael J. Damzen, “Volume Bragg Grating Locked Alexandrite Laser,” optics, 3(1), 53-59 (2022)
Goronwy Tawy, Ara Minassian, and Michael J. Damzen, “High-power 7.4W TEM₀₀ and wavelength-tunable alexandrite laser with a novel cavity design and efficient fibre-coupled diode-pumping,” OSA Continuum Vol. 3, pp. 1638-1649 (2020)
Juna Sathian, Goronwy Tawy, Xin Sheng, Ara Minassian, and Michael J. Damzen, “Nonastigmatic alexandrite ring laser design with wavelength-tunable single-longitudinal-mode operation,” JOSA B Vol. 37, pp. 2185-2192 (2020)
Juna Sathian, Wenjun Lian, Ara Minassian, and Michael J Damzen, “Brightness-Enhanced Solid-State Light Sources: From Kaleidoscope Effect to Uniform Illumination”, Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics®/Europe-EQEC, Paper cdp_p_1 (Munich, Germany) 2019.
Juna Sathian, Goronwy Tawy, Xin Sheng, Ara Minassian, and Michael J Damzen, “Compact Non-Astigmatic Alexandrite Ring Laser with Unidirectional Single-Longitudinal-Mode operation,” European Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics®/Europe-EQEC, Paper ca_1_3 (Munich, Germany) 2019
Juna Sathian, Ara Minassian, Neil M Alford, and Michael J Damzen, “Enhancing Performance of Ce:YAG Luminescent Concentrators for High Power Applications,” Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics®/Europe/EQEC, Paper cdp_p_2 (Munich, Germany) 2019
G. M. Thomas, A. Minassian, And M. J. Damzen, “Optical vortex generation from a diode-pumped alexandrite laser,” Laser Physics Letters, Vol 15 (2018)
A. T. Coney, A. Minassian, and M. J. Damzen, “High-Energy Diode-Pumped Alexandrite Oscillator and Amplifier Development for Satellite-Based Lidar,” Advanced Solid-State Laser Congress (ASSL), paper ATu5A.7, (Boston, USA) 2018
X. Sheng, U. Parali, G. M. Thomas, A. Minassian, and M. J. Damzen, “Passively SESAM Q-switched Red-Diode-Pumped Alexandrite Laser,” Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics®/Europe-EQEC, paper CA_P_1 (Munich, Germany) 2017
Gabrielle M. Thomas, Ara Minassian, William Kerridge-Johns, Xin Sheng, Alexander Coney, and Michael J. Damzen, “High power and high energy diode-pumped Alexandrite lasers,” Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics®/Europe-EQEC, paper CA_3_3 (Munich, Germany) 2017
A. T. Coney, G. M. Thomas, A. Minassian, and M. J. Damzen, “High-Energy Diode-Pumped Alexandrite Laser Development for Remote Sensing,” Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics®/Europe-EQEC, paper CA_3_2 (Munich, Germany) 2017
M. J. Damzen, G. M. Thomas, And A. Minassian, “Diode-side-pumped Alexandrite slab lasers,” Optics Express Vol. 25, No. 10, pp. 11622-11636 (2017)
G. M. Thomas, A. Minassian, X. Sheng, And M. J. Damzen, “Diode-pumped Alexandrite lasers in Q-switched and cavity-dumped Q-switched operation,” Optics Express, Vol. 24, No 24, pp. 27212-27224 (2016)
Gabrielle M. Thomas, Ara Minassian, Achaya Teppitaksak, and Michael J. Damzen, “High Energy Q-switching and Cavity Dumped Q-switching of a Diode-pumped Alexandrite Laser,” Advanced Solid State Lasers, paper ATu3A.7 (Berlin, Germany) 2015
Michael Damzen, Gabrielle Thomas, Achaya Teppitaksak, Emma Arbabzadah. William Kerridge-Johns and Ara Minassian,“Diode-pumped alexandrite laser — A new prospect for remote sensing,” Lasers and Electro-Optics Pacific Rim, paper 25B3_2 (CLEO-PR), 2015
Gabrielle M. Thomas, A. Minassian and Michael J. Damzen, “Directly diode-side-pumped Alexandrite slab lasers in the bounce geometry and optical vortex generation,” Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics®/Europe-EQEC, Paper CA_P_2 (Munich, Germany) 2015
E. A. Arbabzadah, W. Kerridge-Johns, G. M. Thomas, A. Minassian, and M. J. Damzen, “High efficiency TEM₀₀ diode end-pumped Alexandrite laser,” Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics®/Europe-EQEC, Paper CA_6_4 (Munich, Germany) 2015
M. J. Damzen, G.M. Thomas, A. Teppitaksak and A. Minassian, “Progress is Diode-Pumped Alexandrite lasers as a new resource for future space LIDAR missions,” International Conference on Space Optics, (Tenerife, Spain) 2014
Achaya Teppitaksak, Ara Minassian, Gabrielle M. Thomas, and Michael J. Damzen, “High efficiency >26 W diode end-pumped Alexandrite laser,” Optics Express, Vol. 22, Issue 13, pp. 16386-16392 (2014)
M. Damzen and A. Minassian, “Diode-pumped Alexandrite laser: a bright prospect for future space Lidar missions,” SPIE 8534-43, Technical Abstracts, (2012)

E. A. Arbabzadah, P. C. Shardlow, A. Minassian, and M. J. Damzen, “Pulse control in a Q-switched Nd:YVO₄ bounce geometry laser using a secondary cavity,” Optics Letters, Vol. 39, Issue 12, pp. 3437-3440 (2014)
T. Omatsu, M. Okida, K. Iwamatsu, A. Minassian, and M.J. Damzen, “Frequency-doubled vortex laser based on a side-pumped Nd:YVO₄ compact stigmatic bounce amplifier,” Proceedings of the International Quantum Electronics Conference and Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Pacific Rim 2011, paper C391 (2011)
Takashige Omatsu, Koki Iwamatsu, Simon P. Chard, Ara Minassian, and Michael J. Damzen, “Radially-polarized, Q-switched pulses from a side-pumped Nd:YVO₄ compact stigmatic bounce laser with a photonic crystal output coupler,” Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics ®/Europe-EQEC Paper CA9_2 (Munich, Germany) 2011
T. Omatsu, K. Miyamoto, M. Okida, A. Minassian, and M. J. Damzen, “1.3-µm passive Q-switching of a Nd-doped mixed vanadate bounce laser in combination with a V:YAG saturable absorber,” Applied Physics B, Volume 101, Issue 1-2, pp 65-70 (2010)
T. Omatsu, A. Minassian, and M.J. Damzen, “Passive Q-switching of a diode-side-pumped Nd-doped mixed gadolinium yttrium vanadate bounce laser,” Applied Physics B, Volume 90, Issue 3-4, pp 445-449 (2008)
D. Sauder, A. Minassian, and M. J. Damzen, “Laser operation at 1.3μm of 2at.% doped crystalline Nd:YAG in a bounce geometry,” Optics Express, Vol. 15, Issue 6, pp. 3230-3235 (2007)
D. Sauder, A. Minassian, and M. J. Damzen, “High efficiency laser operation of 2at.% doped crystalline Nd:YAG in a bounce geometry,” Optics Express, Vol. 14, Issue 3, pp. 1079-1085 (2006)
Takashige Omatsu, Masahito Okida, Ara Minassian, and Michael J. Damzen, “High repetition rate Q-switching performance in transversely diode-pumped Nd doped mixed gadolinium yttrium vanadate bounce laser,” Optics Express Vol. 14, Issue 7, pp. 2727-2734 (2006)
Takashige Omatsu, Kouji Nawata, Daniel Sauder, Ara Minassian, and Michael J. Damzen, “Over 40-watt diffraction-limited Q-switched output from neodymium-doped YAG ceramic bounce amplifiers,” Optics Express Vol. 14, Issue 18, pp. 8198-8204 (2006)
Takashige Omatsu, Yasukuni Ojima, Ara Minassian, and Michael Damzen, “Power scaling of highly neodymium-doped YAG ceramic lasers with a bounce amplifier geometry,” Optics Express, Vol. 13, Issue 18, pp. 7011-7016 (2005)
A. Minassian and M. J. Damzen, “20 W bounce geometry diode-pumped Nd:YVO₄ laser system at 1342 nm,” Optics Communications, Volume 230, Issues 1–3, pp. 191–195(2004)
Benjamin A. Thompson, Ara Minassian, and Michael J. Damzen, “Unidirectional single-frequency operation of a Nd:YVO₄ ring laser with and without a Faraday element,” Applied Optics Vol. 43, Issue 15, pp. 3174-3177 (2004)
Benjamin A. Thompson, Ara Minassian, and Michael J. Damzen, “Operation of a 33-W, continuous-wave, self-adaptive, solid-state laser oscillator,” JOSA B, Vol. 20, Issue 5, pp. 857-862 (2003)
A. Minassian, B. Thompson, and M J. Damzen “Ultrahigh-efficiency TEM₀₀ diode-side-pumped Nd:YVO₄ laser,” Applied Physics B, Volume 76, Issue 4, pp 341-343 (2003)
J. H. Garcıa-López, V. Aboites, A.V. Kir’yanov, M. J. Damzen, and A. Minassian, “High repetition rate Q-switching of high power Nd:YVO₄ slab laser,” Optics Communications, Volume 218, Issues 1–3, pp. 155–160 (2003)
Benjamin A. Thompson, Ara Minassian, Robert W. Eason, and Michael J. Damzen, “Efficient operation of a solid-state adaptive laser oscillator,” Applied Optics Vol. 41, Issue 27, pp. 5638-5644 (2002)

A. Minassian, G. J. Crofts, and M. J. Damzen, “Compact, transversely pumped, narrowband Ti:Sapphire ring resonators,” Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics, paper CThM18 (Optical Society of America, 2000)
A. Minassian, G. J. Crofts, and M. J. Damzen, “A tunable self-pumped phase-conjugate laser using Ti:sapphire slab amplifiers,” Optics Communications, Volume 161, Issues 4–6, pp. 338–344 (1999)
A. Minassian, G. J. Crofts, and M. J. Damzen, “Self-starting Ti:sapphire holographic laser oscillator,” Optics Letters Vol. 22, pp. 697-699 (1997)