HIGH INTENSITY SOLAR POWERED LASER

GLASS LASERS PRESENTLY HAVE A GREAT POTENTIAL FOR HIGH POWER LASER APPLICATIONS WITH ADVANTAGES THAT INCLUDE THE ABILITY TO FABRICATE LARGE RODS OR SEGMENTS; A HIGH DEGREE OF HOMOGENEITY REDUCING HIGH POWER STRESS CONCENTRATION; AND RARE-EARTH SENSITIZERS USED TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY. ALTHOUGH A PROMISING FIELD, SEVERAL DIFFICULTIESLIMIT THE OUTPUT PER PULSE BEFORE DEFOCUSING AND FILAMENTARY BREAKDOWNOCCURS. THE HIGH TEMPERATURES REQUIRED BY TRADITIONAL MELT-GLASS PROCESSES LEAD TO CONTAMINATION OF THE GLASS BY REACTIONS WITH THE PLATINUM CRUCIBLE. THESE CONTAMINANTS LEAD TO EVENTUAL LASER ROD DESTRUCTION AT HIGH POWERS. ALTERING THE GLASS COMPOSITION BY ADDING CAO OR LI2O ACHIEVES A LOWER MELT TEMPERATURE; HOWEVER, THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THE GLASS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY DEGRADED. SOL GEL GLASS PROCESSING OFFERS A LOW TEMPERATURE METHOD FOR PRODUCING A SILICA GLASS LASER HOST WITH A PURITY UNATTAINABLE BY ANY OTHER TECHNOLOGY. INITIAL RESULTS INDICATE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES FAR SUPERIOR TO ANY GLASSLASER COMPOSITIONS USED TODAY. THE FEASIBILITY OF MAKING NEODYMIUM DOPED GLASS LASERS USING THE SOL GEL PROCESS IS BEING INVESTIGATED. THE EFFECTS OF ADDING CERIUM OR ERBIUM AS A SENSITIZER ARE BEING DETERMINED.