Development of improved laser glasses which can be melted on a commercial scale. Annual progress report, September 15, 1976--September 30, 1977
Year: 1978
Type: report
Abstract: Large neodymium doped glass laser systems are presently being built for nuclear fusion research. However, the power which can be generated by these systems is generally limited by self focusing in the laser glass. This study was undertaken to develop laser glasses with a minimum nonlinear refractive index which would allow the generation of higher powers in these laser systems. Various fluorophosphate glass forming systems were investigated in order to develop laser glasses with ''optimum'' properties (low n/sub 2/, medium sigma, long tau, highly stable). In these fluorophosphate systems, the regions of glass formation were defined and glass composition-property correlation equations were derived which related the various properties (n/sub D/, n/sub 2/, sigma, the Nd/sup 3 +/ peak lambda, ..delta..lambda, effective ..delta..lambda, sigma and tau radiative) to the glass composition. Specific glass compositions were developed which had nonlinear refractive indices of about /sup 1///sub 3/ those of commercial silicate laser glasses but had comparable spectroscopic properties (i.e., sigma). These glasses were sufficiently stable to cast single pieces of glass weighing in excess of 50 lbs.
DOI: 10.2172/7094588
Authors: C F Rapp, N T Huff, P J Vergano
Language: English
Subfield: Ceramics and Composites
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2017914873