OPTICAL PUMPS FOR LASERS.
Abstract
The overall objective of the report is to produce more efficient optical pumps for Nd:YAG lasers. The first task is the development of an alkali metal lamp for more efficiently pumping CW Nd:YAG lasers: 5% efficiency is the goal. The alkali metal spectra were investigated for effectiveness in exciting Nd:YAG. Potassium and rubidium each offer good possibilities. A potassium-filled lamp was stable and uniform. The second task is the development of a lamp for more efficiently pumping Nd:YAG lasers that operate at 10 pps with 10 joule electrical input to the fluorescent light output of Nd:YAG crystals, which is a direct function of the amount of pump light absorbed in the excitation bands of the crystal. For a fixed electrical input to the lamp, the fluorescent output provides a direct measure of relative optical pumping efficiency. It was found that a krypton lamp filled to 1500 torr pressure, operated with a critically damped current pulse, was 15% more efficient than the customarily used lamp which is filled to 450 torr with xenon. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1970
- Accession Number
- AD0709618
Entities
People
- John Richter
- Lowell Noble