A NEW LASER CRYSTAL FOR HOLOGRAPHIC INTERFEROMETRY

A NEW LASER CRYSTAL, PRAESEODYMIUM YTTRIUM LITHIUM FLUORIDE, IS BEING DEVELOPED FOR APPLICATIONS IN HOLOGRAPHIC INTERFEROMETRY. MOST PULSED LASER HOLOGRAPHIC INTERFEROMETRY IS PRESENTLY PERFORMED WITH EITHER FREQUENCY DOUBLED NEODYMIUM YAG OR WITH RUBY LASERS. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF LIMITATIONS IMPOSED BY EITHER OF THESE TWO CRYSTALS, SOME OF WHICH CAN BE OVERCOME BY THE NEW CRYSTAL. RESEARCHERS ALSO ANTICIPATE THE CRYSTAL WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT APPLICATIONS IN MEDICINE AND ELSEWHERE. THEY PROPOSE TO PROVE CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE PRAESEODYMIUM CRYSTAL, SUCH AS MAKING A SEED LASER AND GAINING SINGLE LONGITUDINAL MODE IN AN INJECTION SEEDED GAUSSIAN MIRRORED OSCILLATOR. IMPROVEMENTS IN PUMPING EFFICIENCY ARE BEING ATTEMPTED BY USING FLUORESCENT CONVERTERS AND DOPED GLASS CONVERTERS.