Damage resistant optics for a mega-joule solid-state laser

Conference · Mon Dec 17 00:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6350774

Campbell, J H; Rainer, F; Kozlowski, M; Wolfe, C R; Thomas, I; Milanovich, F

Research on Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) has progressed rapidly in the past several years. As a consequence, LLNL is developing plans to upgrade the current 120 kJ solid state (Nd{sup +3}-phosphate glass) Nova laser to a 1.5 to 2 megajoule system with the goal of achieving fusion ignition. The design of the planned Nova Upgrade is briefly discussed. Because of recent improvements in the damage resistance of optical materials it is now technically and economically feasible to build a megajoule-class solid state laser. Specifically, the damage threshold of Nd{sup +3}-doped phosphate laser glass, multilayer dielectric coatings, and non-linear optical crystals (e.g., KDP) have been dramatically improved. These materials now meet the fluence requirements for a 1.5--2 MJ Nd{sup 3+}-glass laser operating at 1054 and 351 nm and at a pulse length of 3 ns. The recent improvements in damage thresholds are reviewed; threshold data at both 1064 and 355 nm and the measured pulse length scaling are presented. 20 refs., 9 figs., 2 tabs.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/DP
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6350774
• Report Number(s): UCRL-JC-104900; CONF-9010287-5; ON: DE91006246; TRN: 91-001924
• Resource Relation: Conference: 22. boulder damage symposium, Boulder, CO (USA), 25-26 Oct 1990
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
LASER MIRRORS
DAMAGE
DEFECTS
NEODYMIUM LASERS
MODIFICATIONS
DESIGN
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
NONLINEAR OPTICS
NOVA FACILITY
REFLECTIVE COATINGS
COATINGS
CONFINEMENT
LASERS
MIRRORS
OPTICS
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
SOLID STATE LASERS
700208* - Fusion Power Plant Technology- Inertial Confinement Technology