SLAB OPTICAL FREQUENCY DOUBLER

THE ARMY HAS A NEED FOR HIGH PEAK POWER/HIGH AVERAGE POWER FREQUENCY DOUBLED, FLASHLAMP PUMPED, Q-SWITCHED ND: YAG L LASERS. THE PRINCIPAL LIMITATION TO THESE DEVICES ARE THE FREQUENCY DOUBLERS. THE SLAB OPTICAL FREQUENCY DOUBLER ( (SOFD) PROGRAM IS THE RESULT OF A CONCEPT WHICH OVERCOMES THE LIMITATIONS OF CONVENTIONAL FREQUENCY DOUBLERS. THE W WORK PERFORMED IN PHASE I OF THE SOFD PROGRAM SHOWS THAT THE DESIGNS ARE FEASIBLE, BUT TESTING MUST BE COMPLETED AT LOW POWER LEVELS. THE OBJECTIVES OF PHASE II ARE TO EXTEND THE FEASIBILITY INVESTIGATION OF PHASE I TO LEVELS THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT FOR ARMY APPLICATION. THE SEVEN (7) TASKS IN PHASE II ARE DESIGNED TO INSURE THAT THE CONCEPT IS TH THOROUGHLY TESTED. INCLUDED ARE TASKS NOT ONLY TO TEST FOR HIGH PEAK POWER INPUTS AND HIGH PEAK POWER/HIGH AVERAGE POWER INPUTS TO SLAB GEOMETRIES, BUT TO INVESTIGATE THE VALUE OF CONDUCTIVELY COOLING WITH GASES AND TO DETERMINE THE ADVANTAGES OF USING A SINGLE-AXIAL-MODE (SAM) PUMP AND APHASE CONJUGATED PUMP VERSUS A STANDARD MILTIMODE, NON CONJUGATED PUMP. IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THESE FACTORS BE C CONSIDERED SINCE THEY MAY MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN I IMPRACTICALY AND FEASIBILITY OF THE OVERALL SYSTEM WHICH M MAY ALSO INCLUDE RAMAN INSERTS.