Laser Comparison Study of Nd:BEL and Nd:YAG.

Abstract

Except for a few early instances, military tactical lasers have used Nd(3+) doped Y3Al5O12 (Nd:YAG) as the laser material. With an output wavelength of 1.064 micro and an optimum slope efficiency near 3.0%, the performance of this solid state material is well known (1), while the use of other materials is currently being evaluated (2,3,4). To provide an advantage over Nd:YAG, issues such as efficiency, beam quality, reliability, and availability must be considered. A study of a possible alternative to Nd:YAG was undertaken. Nd(3+) doped La2Be2O5 (Nd:BEL) was the material that was chosen. The research concentrated on relative performance parameters. What we hoped to identify were any glaring weaknesses of a material which could preclude its military use, or any significant strengths which would encourage its exploitation. To complement the data obtained, a brief discussion of spectroscopy, lasing levels, and other physical properties is included in Section II.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 1987
Accession Number
ADA191084

Entities

People

  • Ralph C. Simpson

Organizations

  • Wright Laboratory

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aeronautical Laboratories
  • Air Force
  • Crystal Structure
  • Detectors
  • Efficiency
  • Governments
  • Laser Applications
  • Laser Materials
  • Laser Resonators
  • Laser Science
  • Lasers
  • Materials
  • Measurement
  • Physical Properties
  • Power Supplies
  • Q Switching
  • Spectroscopy

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Optical Physics and Photonics.
  • Theoretical Analysis.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy