SURFACE DISCHARGE AS AN INCOHERENT PUMP SOURCE FOR SOLID STATE LASERS

THE PROGRAM PROPOSED HEREIN IS TO EXPERIMENTALLY INVESTIGATE THE SURFACE DISCHARGES AS AN INCOHERENT RADIATION SOURCE TO PUMP SOLID STATE LASERS. ALTHOUGH THE FLASHLAMPS CURRENTLY BEING USED ARE A WELL DEVELOPED TECHNOLOGY, THE SURFACE DISCHARGE HAS SEVERAL POTENTIAL ADVANTAGES. ONE THAT WOULD BE INVESTIGATED IN THIS WORK IS THE SPECTRALENHANCEMENT OF THE RAIDATION FROM THE SURFACE DISCHARGE BY MEANS OF THE CHOICE OF DISCHARGE SUBSTRATE. WE PROPOSE TO EXPERIMENTALLY MEASURE THIS ENHANCEMENT AT THE SURFACE DISCHARGE FACILITY LOCATED IN THE PROPOSER'S LABORATORY, USING SUBSTRATES WITH CONSTITUENTS HAVING STRONG EMISSION LINES IN THE ABSORPTION BANDS OF THE TI:AL2O3 LASER. ALSO, DUE TO DIFFERENCES IN THE EMISSION PHYSICS OF THE SURFACE DISCHARGE, ITS SPECTRAL RADIANCE MAY BE GREATER THAN FOR A COMPARABLE FLASHLAMP. THUS, PROPOSED WORK INCLUDES AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONOF THE DETAILED SPECTRAL CONTENT OF THE SURFACE DISCHARGE AND A COMPARISON WITH CORRESPONDING FLASHLAMP DATA. BASED ON THE EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS OF THESE TASKS, ESTIMATES OF OVERALL LASER EFFICIENCY WILL BE MADE AND A PRELIMINARY DESIGN FOR A SURFACE DISCHARGE LAMP FOR THE TIAL2O3 LASER WILL BE PREPARED.