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Accession Number:
AD0917523
Title:
Laser Transmitter I.
Descriptive Note:
Final rept. Oct 72-Oct 73,
Corporate Author:
LOCKHEED MISSILES AND SPACE CO INC PALO ALTO CA PALO ALTO RESEARCH LAB
Report Date:
1973-10-01
Pagination or Media Count:
118.0
Abstract:
This report deals with the design, development, and delivery of a stable, frequency doubled, single-frequency NdYAG laser transmitter suitable for performance tests on a wide-bandwidth laser communication system. The laser is pumped by either a Kr arc lamp or by a potentially more efficient K-Rb lamp in an elliptical pump cavity, and it incorporates conductive cooling of the pumped rod. Suitable mechanical and electronic controls are provided which include an advanced design for frequency stabilizing the laser. Stable, single-frequency green 0.53 micrometer outputs of 250 mW with 650-W input power to the Kr lamp and 50 mW for 300W into the K-Rb lamp were obtained. Further optimization of the design and improved lamp lifetimes will improve the performance with K-Rb lamps. The amplitude and frequency stabilities attained were or- 2 percent and or - 5 MHz, respectively, and the laser exhibited exceptional stability during long-term tests on the LMSC laser communication system. Rod astigmatism was corrected by a tilted lens and conditions established for stable operation with stigmatic laser beams. Higher-order aberrations in the rod were investigated and criteria for low-loss TEM00 mode operation deduced. Unidirectional second-harmonic output greater than the total bidirectional output was consistently obtained and theoretically shown to be always obtainable by adjusting the nonlinear crystal phase match temperatue independent of the phase relationship between the reflected fundamental and harmonic waves.
Distribution Statement:
APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE
