Developments in diode pumped alkali laser (DPAL) systems have been impeded because of the catastrophic failure of laser windows. The window's failure is caused by localized laser‐induced heating of window material. This heating is believed to occur due to increases in absorption on or near the surface of the window. This increase is believed to be caused by either adsorption of carbon‐based soot from the collisional gas or by the diffusion of rubidium into the bulk material. The work presented here focuses on the diffusion of Rb into the bulk window materials and strives to identify a superior material to use as windows. The results of this research indicate that aluminum oxynitride (ALON), sapphire, MgAl2O4 (spinel), and ZrO2 are resistant to alkali‐induced changes in optical properties.

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