Development of the Los Alamos solid-state optical refrigerator

Laser-induced cooling of a solid by net anti-Stokes fluorescence, first experimentally demonstrated in 1995, can be the basis of a new type of cryocooler, an optical refrigerator. This article describes the physics and design issues of a practical optical refrigerator for operation at 77 K. In particular, the Los Alamos Solid-State Optical Refrigerator (LASSOR) which we are developing would have an operating efficiency comparable to commercial small cryocoolers, be completely vibration-free and operate for years without maintenance.