GROWTH OF BROAD LINEWIDTH RUBY CRYSTALS

IAD-284 942Div. 25 U (TISTP/WH)Airtron, Inc., Morris Plains, N. J. GROWTH OF BROAD LINEWIDTH RUBY CRYSTALS. Semiannual technical summary rept. 1 May30 June 62, by Irving Adams, J. W. Nielsen and G. Townsend. 30 Aug 62, 10p. incl. illus. 2 refs. (Rept. no. R11-370) (Contract Nonr-383200) Unclassified report DESCRIPTORS: *Glass, *Neodymium, *Lasers, *Ruby, *Fluorescence. In a choice of two materials, ruby and neodymium doped glass, for very high power, short pulse, lasers, ruby was selected as the one most likely to yield the best result. Putting arguments concerning the merits of a broader linewidth aside, there are two factors to be considered in very high power applications which work against neodymium doped glass when it is compared to ruby: In any very high power application fluorescent efficiency assumes greater importance since pump power will be a limiting factor. The fluorescent efficiency or ruby is greater than that of neodymium doped glass. Fluorescent life-time for ruby at room temperature is 3 msec, that of neodymium doped glass .56 msec. Assuming that the most efficient pumping is found for both materials, and that both can be fabricated into very high Q cavities, almost twice as much energy is absorbed per emitted photon in the solid through radiationless transitions in neodymium doped glass as is absorbed in ruby. Removal of this energy (heat) becomes difficult and critical as power levels are raised. (Author)