Accession Number:

AD0829852

Title:

OPTICAL PUMPS FOR LASERS--PHASE II.

Descriptive Note:

Triannual rept. no. 2, 1 Aug-30 Nov 67,

Corporate Author:

WESTINGHOUSE RESEARCH LABS PITTSBURGH PA

Personal Author(s):

• Church, C. H.
• Larson, D. A.
• Liberman, I.
• Young, R. G.
• Armstrong, L., Jr

Report Date:

1968-02-01

Pagination or Media Count:

106.0

Abstract:

The work covered in this report is separated into three tasks. The goal of Task A is to improve the life of xenon flash lamps when operated under high repetition rates. In Task B, the object is to predict the performance of a cw laser system when pumped with a spectral gas discharge lamp. In Task C, the superiority of the potassium-mercury lamp over the tungsten filament lamp for pumping NdYAG has been demonstrated. In Task A, lamps of 3 mm bore and 50 mm arc length were made and filled with xenon at pressures ranging from 150-450 torr. These lamps operated satisfactorily at 175 pps and .75 j per pulse. The pulse duration of 20 usec was obtained from an LC pulse forming network. None of the lamps have shown significant deterioration including one lamp which operated for 15 hours. In Task B, four phases of the theory were developed. The bound-bound atomic transitions were used to calculate the spectral radiance of the alkali metal arcs assuming a temperature profile. In Task C, the spectral and laser properties of 15 K-Hg lamps were made and studied.

Descriptors:

• *OPTICAL PUMPING
• *LASERS
• *FLASH LAMPS
• PERFORMANCE(ENGINEERING)
• ATOMIC ENERGY LEVELS
• LIFE EXPECTANCY(SERVICE LIFE)
• XENON
• GAS DISCHARGES
• EXCITATION
• LINE SPECTRA
• BAND SPECTRA
• WAVE FUNCTIONS
• ALKALI METALS
• EFFICIENCY
• COMPUTER PROGRAMS
• GARNET

Subject Categories:

• Lasers and Masers

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE