PUMPED TRANSFORMER LASERS
Abstract
A number of laser-pumped-laser systems have been studied which offer promise of development into sources for very high intensity beams of excellent parallelism. The arrangement proposed is to pump a vapor volume from many directions simultaneously with the output light from a large number of primary lasers -- which do not have to be of good optical quality. Absorption of the pump light by molecules of the vapor produces inversion in some of the molecular transitions, in such a manner that the vapor volume can lase out most of the total absorbed energy as a single output beam. Analysis based on molecular properties recorded in the existing literature pointed to at least five combinations of materials, with outputs between 7000 A and 5 microns which look potentially useful for such a system, provided no new unfavorable properties of the gas molecules under intense irradiation are established. All of these combinations appeared deserving of serious experimental investigation. Laboratory work under the contract has dealt entirely with one of these possible combinations: saturated cesium vapor near 400 C in a helium atmosphere, pumped at 1.06 micron with Nd glass lasers. The experiments so far indicate a strong probability of serious trouble from some dissipative reaction occurring in the cesium vapor at high pumping fluxes. However, the origin of the trouble has not yet been definitely settled.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 28, 1966
- Accession Number
- AD0803949
Entities
People
- C. B. Ellis
- E. C. Eberlin
- I. A. Greenwood
- J. H. Simpson