LARGE-APERTURE GLASS DISK LASER SYSTEM

A study of a glass laser designed to operate at extremely high power and radiance for possible use in the production of strong shock waves and high-temperature plasmas is presented. The design makes use of titled face-pumped disks of neodymium-doped glass. The advantages and disadvantages of the four proposed ways to use such a laser are considered. To test the disk concept, a system of five 12.5-cm-diam, 1.25-cm-thick disks was constructed. Design considerations and the results of several measurements with the experimental system are presented. Measurements of the single-pass gain of the five disks showed a gain coefficient of 0.054/cm, which indicates an energy storage of 0.68 J/cm3, or 100 J per disk. © 1969 The American Institute of Physics.