Properties of Neodymium Laser Materials

Thornton, J.; Fountain, William D.; Flint, Graham; Crow, T. G.

doi:10.1364/ao.8.001087

Cited by 69 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…14 ͑Na-ively, one expects a similar thing to happen to an organic dye in a polymer.͒ This sort of decrease has been observed, 15 where the fluorescence efficiency of neodymium in various glasses was essentially flat below room temperature and decreased ever more rapidly above it. The details, however, depended on the glass because of the different field each presented to the neodymium ions.…”

Section: Temperature Effectsmentioning

confidence: 84%

Fluorescent optical liquid-level sensor

Weiss¹

2000

Opt. Eng

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An optical method of detecting liquid level is presented that uses fluorescence radiation generated in an impurity-doped glass or plastic slab. In operation, the slab is inserted into the liquid and pump light is coupled into it so that the light is guided by the slab-air interface above the liquid and escapes into the liquid just below its surface. Since the fluorescence is generated only in that section of the slab above the liquid, the fluorescence power will monotonically decrease with increasing liquid level. Thus, a relationship can be established between any signal proportional to it and the liquid level.Because optical fibers link the pump source and the detector of fluorescence radiation to the sensor, no electrical connections are needed in or near the liquid. Their absence vastly decreases the hazard associated with placing a liquid-level sensor in a potentially explosive environment. A laboratory prototype, consisting of a methyl styrene slab doped with an organic dye, has been built and successfully tested in water. Its response to liquid level when pumped by a tunable argon-ion laser at 476, 488, and 496 nm, and by a blue LED, is presented and shown to be consistent with theory. The fluorescence spectra are also presented and discussed.=Sandia NationalLaboratoriesk a multiprogmm laboratory operatedby Sandia CorporatiorL a Lockheed

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Section: Temperature Effectsmentioning

confidence: 84%

Fluorescent optical liquid-level sensor

Weiss¹

2000

Opt. Eng

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“…[48] and values of lattice constants, density and other properties in Refs. [50]. The properties of a number of neodymium laser materials are reviewed in Ref.…”

Section: D) Crystal Rare Earth Lasersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rare-Earth Lasers

Reisfeld

Jørgensen

1977

Inorganic Chemistry Concepts

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The laser is a source of coherent radiation in the optical region of the spectrum. The common characteristic of all laser types is the population inversion in the active element of the laser. The conditions for laser action were first described by Schawlow and Townes [1] in 1958. The first demonstration of laser action was achieved in ruby by Maiman [2]. In the last 15 years a systematic search was conducted for new laser systems using trivalent and divalent rare earths in a great variety of crystals [3][4][5], glasses [6-20] and liquids [21][22][23].Since these data are available we shall concentrate mostly on the recent development in the rare earth laser art which had a tremendous impact in the first half of the seventies. At the present time of energy crisis it is realized that the most noteworthy property of the laser is its ability to produce an energy concentration in space and time even greater than that found in the heat of nuclear explosion. A huge laser program is now being carried out at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratories, also in Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, Sandia Laboratories, KMS Fusion Inc. and at Rochester [24] under sponsorship of the United States Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA).All these projects move to a final goal to initiate the thermonuclear reaction by irradiating a deuterium-tritium pellet with high energy laser of a few picoseconds duration. The vapor evolved from the pellet surface creates a back pressure that compresses and heats the pellet's center. During the thermonuclear burning the pellet is held together by the inertia of its mass.The first direct experimental proof that the neutrons produced in laser-driven implosions are of thermonuclear origin, was demonstrated at the end of 1975 at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory [25]. The other activities of this laboratory are connected with 1) laser isotope separation to demonstrate the scientific possibility of using a laser induced process to alter the isotopic ratios of chemical elements especially uranium, 2) laser research and development to identify fruitful areas of new laser research and provide the necessary scientific data base for evaluating new lasers. Also recently KMS Fusion Inc. reported a development of "plasma spatial fllter" which eliminates hot spots in high-power glass lasers providing an improvement in the quality of the laser beam.Neodymium doped glass lasers are the best understood high-energy short pulse lasers now available. Because of this understanding we know how to optimize the R. Reisfeld et al., Lasers and Excited States of Rare Earths

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“…It has been known since the sixties that both crystalline and amorphous materials doped with rare-earth elements manifest luminescence phenomena [1]. Recently, such systems have played more and more important role in the development of optoelectronic technology.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%