Characterization and optimization of a new high-average power laser glass
A new High-Average Power laser glass with favorable thermal-mechanical properties was recently developed by Schott Glass Technologies. We refer to this glass as APG-2, although it does not have an official designation. Fracture studies were conducted which verified the thermomechanical utility of the glass. Consequently, the glass was a promising candidate for a variety of applications such as a Kerr-lens mode-locked short-pulse laser. As a result, cavity designs and optical parameters were calculated to test this hypothesis, and characterization of the lasing properties began. The glass was lased for the first time, and laser slope efficiencies were measured at various output couplings. Laser efficiencies were observed to drop radically when the pump light duty cycle was increased from 10% to unity. When the new laser glass was compared to commercially available laser glasses LG-750 and APG-1, something appeared to be inhibiting smooth laser action. Further investigations indicated that the thermal lens in the new glass was much larger than in the other glasses making the laser resonator unstable. This thermal lens was then modeled and quantified in a separate experiment.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 149603
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-ID-114972-1; CONF-9312109-Absts.; ON: DE95012452; TRN: 95:007226-0018
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Science and Engineering Research Semester (SERS) symposium, Livermore, CA (United States), 15 Dec 1993; Other Information: PBD: Apr 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of Abstracts for student symposium; Goldman, B.; PB: 245 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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