Los Alamos Solid-State Optical
Refrigerator Program
LASSOR
The LASSOR program is aimed at developing all solid-state cryocoolers based on optical refrigeration. Optical refrigeration is a physical process in which a solid cools when it absorbs light and then re-emits it at higher frequencies; this is known as anti-Stokes fluorescence. This type of laser cooling has been studied in rare-earth-doped glasses and crystals and in direct-bandgap semiconductors. Optical refrigerators, with no moving parts, produce no vibrations. They will be compact, rugged devices with efficiencies comparable to small mechanical coolers. We envision them operating at temperatures as low as 10 K. Presently, we are working toward a prototype that will work below 100 K. this technology is well suited for cooling ground-based and space-borne infrared cameras, gamma-ray spectrometers and electronics.
This research is being carried out in collaboration with the Optical Refrigeration Group at the University of New Mexico.
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