Neodymium laser with a mirror plasma-optical Q-switch

Journal Article · Fri Nov 30 23:00:00 EST 1979 · Sov. Phys. - JETP (Engl. Transl.); (United States)

OSTI ID:5486255

Batanov, V A; Dement'ev, D A; Malkov, A N; Prokhorov, A M; Fedorov, V B

The use of laser radiation self-action in a plasma to develop plasma-optical elements for laser resonators is considered. Experiments with a neodymium laser show that a resonator plasma can simultaneously act as a resonator mirror, a laser Q-switch, and a nonlinear element for mode locking during giant pulse generation. The generation kinetics of a neodymium laser is investigated in detail. The possibility in principle of controlling the generation regime and varying the radiation characteristics over a broad range is demonstrated. A mean radiation power Papprox. =1--10 GW is attained in a train of nanosecond radiation spikes; the power density at the plasma mirror is estimated at Iapprox. =10/sup 13/--10/sup 14/ W/cm/sup 2/. There are indications that self-focusing of the radiation occurs at the plasma mirror. One manifestation of this is the selection of transverse modes in the laser resonator.

• Research Organization: P. N. Lebedev Physics Institute, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow
• OSTI ID: 5486255
• Journal Information: Sov. Phys. - JETP (Engl. Transl.); (United States), Journal Name: Sov. Phys. - JETP (Engl. Transl.); (United States) Vol. 50:6; ISSN SPHJA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420300* -- Engineering-- Lasers-- (-1989)
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
KINETICS
LASERS
MODE LOCKING
NEODYMIUM LASERS
PLASMA
POWER
PULSES
Q-SWITCHING
RESONATORS
SOLID STATE LASERS