Thermal lensing of laser beams in optically transmitting materials

The thermal lensing of laser beams in optically transmitting materials is investigated by employing a vector diffraction formalism. The effects of stress and heat flow in the transmitting material are incorporated into an aberration function describing the lensing. The principal physical mechanisms and material properties influencing lensing, and their relative significance, are analyzed for a variety of materials at 10.6 μm and 3–5 μm operation. Various time regimes, in which different material properties are involved, are distinguished. It is demonstrated that stress-induced birefringence plays an important role in the time evolution of the transmitted intensity pattern in ionic materials at IR frequencies.     

自加热式铜蒸气激光器的热气体透镜研究

本文分析了自加热式铜蒸气激光器放电管内的热气体透镜效应,并指出不同的铜蒸气激光器在稳定工作时可能等效为正透镜,也可能等效为负透镜。在实验部分,本文给出了热气体透镜焦距与输入功率、缓冲气体压强的关系,描绘了热气体透镜从负透镜变化到正透镜的动态过程。     

固体激光器热透镜效应的调控

利用工作腔的热透镜模型, 分析了有激光发射下固体激光器的谐振腔配置对热透镜效应和稳定区的影响, 论述了通过改变谐振腔配置调控热效应的可行性.实验上, 使用一台Nd: YAG激光器对理论作了验证, 实现了对热透镜光焦度及稳定区分布的调控.     

Thermal lensing and spherical aberration in high-power transversally pumped laser rods

A precise knowledge of the thermal effects in laser crystals is very important for high-power laser design, but some relevant parameters are most often neglected in their calculation. In this paper, with the example of transversally pumped, high-power Nd:YAG lasers, we show the importance of the thermal dependence of the gain medium’s physical properties such as the thermal conductivity, the dn/dT and the expansion coefficient on the thermal aberration and thermal lensing values; we also prove that the choice of the resonator can influence the amount of spherical aberration. Finally, analytically calculated values are confronted to experimental values, and show a very good agreement.     

Reduction of beam divergence of a thermal lensing insensitive Nd:YAG laser

In a previous paper we proposed an active resonator designed especially for Nd:YAG lasers. The beam generated by this resonator had a flat-top beam profile and a divergence that was insensitive to the thermal lensing effect. The beam generated by this resonator was, however, too divergent to be focused into a fibre. With the help of numerical simulations, we have found a way to reduce this divergence, and to render the far-field of the laser beam fine enough to be coupled into a fibre with 600 μm core and NA = 0.2.     

Dependence of curvature type of thermal lensing on number of bounces in a zigzag slab laser: numerical modeling

The curvature type of the thermal lens generated in a zigzag slab laser is numerically analysed. It is found that the curvature type of the thermal lens varies alternatively between the convex and the concave lenses with the number of bounces of light within the slab, which can be well explained by the trace of the zigzag propagation. In addition, we conclude that the beamlet with a larger number of bounces experiences weaker thermal lensing but more serious wavefront deformation due to the large side lobe portion in the curve of optical path difference.     

端面抽运固体激光器热透镜效应的实验研究

提出一种易于实现、对激光器本身没有干扰、高空间精度、可实时测量介质热透镜的干涉测量方法. 并利用此方法全面研究了端面抽运Nd:YVO4激光器的热透镜效应，为认识激光介质的热效应和设计此类激光器提供了参考.  关键词： 热透镜 端面抽运 固体激光器     

Growth of dendrites in a large bore HyBrID copper vapor laser

Rapid growth of copper dendrites on the surface of copper metal has been observed in the discharge region of a large-bore (80 mm diameter) HyBrID copper vapor laser. The dendrites have the shape of deposit morphology. And the maximum average growth rate is around 0.25 mm/h in height and width. Also, a dendrite of 25 mm in maximum height and width appears after an operating time of 150 h. As a result, the average laser output power decreases to 75% of the initial level of the output power owing to the dendrites obstructing the laser beam.     

The effects of pulsed Nd:YAG laser irradiation on surface energy of copper

The effect of laser surface treatment on the surface energy of copper plate was investigated in terms of the surface microstructure analysis and theoretical computation in this paper. The surfaces of the copper plates were treated by Nd:YAG pulsed laser with different powers. The microstructures of the treated copper plates were analyzed by optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the wetting experiment was performed to evaluate the variation of surface energy. The results showed that the surface microstructure and the corresponding surface energy of copper, changed with the variation of the laser power. The experimental results further explained by XRD results and theoretical calculation, demonstrated that the surface energy changed when the crystal structure in the surface layer was re-oriented in a preferred orientation after laser irradiation.     

Population lensing effect in Cr:LiSAF probed by Z-scan technique

An experiment has been performed for measuring a nonlinear refractive index that is due to the polarizability difference Δ_P between excited (⁴T₂) and ground (⁴A₂) states in a Cr³⁺:LiSAF crystal at λ = 647 nm. The latter one is responsible for a population lensing effect which has been monitored by using the eclipsing Z-scan technique. We have performed a data analysis that allows to distinguish between thermal and population contributions to the lensing effect. We have found Δ_P = 4.6 × 10⁻²⁵ cm³ which is in a good agreement with our previous measurements with a different technique.     

Comparative study between interferometric and Z-scan techniques for thermal lensing characterization

This work presents an original, comparative study between two optical techniques for the analysis of thermal lensing induced by a low-power, cw laser beam focused onto a sample cell containing a weak absorbing medium. It deals with an interferometric technique and a Z-scan technique in real time. The interferometric method permits the determination of the spatial profile of the thermal lens. The development of the work puts in evidence the high sensitivity of both techniques for the detection and measurement of low absorption coefficients and refractive index changes in dye solutions at very low concentrations. Improvements in the sensitivity of both methods can make possible the measurement of very small phase shift distortions of the wavefront. One shows also the mutual complementary character of two techniques for the characterization and measurement of linear and nonlinear properties of materials.     

Experimental isolation and measurement of laser-induced effects: thermal lensing, turbidity and the optical Kerr effect

Optically induced effects such as thermal lensing, turbidity and the optical Kerr effect in liquids and reversed micellar solutions have been reported but not thoroughly compared, in terms of relative size and significance. Under the present experimental conditions, the largest effect is thermal lensing, which is about 86 and 43 times greater, on average, than the effect of turbidity, when polarized and nonpolarized laser pulses are applied, respectively, in microseconds, to certain liquids. The smallest effect is electric birefringence which is about 14% that of turbidity in a 0.1 M aerosol-OT/CCI₄ solution. A typical experimental set-up to distinguish the above effects is presented.     

Measurement of thermal lensing effects in high power thin disk laser

Two different experimental methods for disk characterization in thin disk lasers are investigated in this paper. First method is based on the stability regions in optical resonator and the second method is based on using an expanded probe beam. Both of the mentioned techniques are used to determine the thermal lensing effects in high power thin disk laser. The results of the experiments are presented and analyzed. Also the advantages and disadvantages of each method are explained.     

Improved measurements of thermally induced birefringence effects in a laser material using a half-wave plate

The polarization dependence of a probe beam for use in measuring thermally induced birefringence effects in a laser-diode end-pumped Nd:YAG ceramic laser has been investigated. The variation in intensity of the probe beam was found to be 10.2% for a linearly polarized probe beam, 20.6% for a circularly polarized probe beam, and 31.4% for a circularly polarized probe beam using a half-wave plate with a pump power of 12 W. The angle between the analyzer and the inclination of the major axis of the elliptical polarization with respect to the x axis was controlled using a half-wave plate. By combining a half-wave plate with a circularly polarized probe beam, the variation in intensity increased compared with conventional methods.     

Improving wear resistance of pure copper by laser surface modification

With the aim of improving surface strength on copper with the electrical conductivity of the integral bulk retained, laser surface modification on copper was carried out using powder preplacement. The microstructures, hardness, wear resistance and electrical conductivity of the sample was investigated. It was shown that the modified layer of sample had crack-free, fine and homogeneous microstructures. Compared with pure copper, the average hardness of the sample was enhanced by a factor of six (about HV_0.1650), and the wear mass loss was reduced by 4/5, but the electrical conductivity of the integral bulk was only slightly decreased. The improvement of hardness and wear resistance could be attributed to the precipitation hardening of boride and carbide, grain refinement and solid solution strengthening in the layer.     

Effect of laser treatment on the surface of copper alloys

The paper presents the results of laser cleaning of the archaeological metal objects using two time widths of pulsed laser radiation, which are around 150 μs and around 120 ns. Two archaeological objects made of copper alloys were studied: a bow and a ring. Both objects came from a cemetery which is located in the garden complex of Wilanow Palace in Warsaw and are dated from XII to XIII century. The bow and bronze ring had ornamental longitudinal grooving and were part of burial jewellery. The materials of which these artefacts were made of, as well as corrosion products on these objects, were studied by using a variety of analytical techniques. The phase composition of the corrosion layers was determined by using Raman spectroscopy. The surface topography as well as the chemical composition of the deposits and cleaned surfaces were investigated. The samples were examined using scanning electron microscopes equipped with EDS. The investigations included observations in SE and BSE modes and point analyses of the chemical composition by EDS.     

Effect of gas convection induced by cross-field discharge in a copper vapor laser

Magnetic field has been applied to a copper vapor laser with an intention of improving the laser characteristics by inner gas convection. The convection induced by the J×B cross-field discharge (the Lorentz force) is used for partially replacing or mixing the laser medium in a highly heated discharged region with relatively cold gas surrounding the region. It is observed that the output power increases with the increase of the magnetic field. A 23% increase in the output power is obtained with a magnetic field of 150 gauss. The cross-field discharge causes an increase in the peak discharge voltage and a reduction in the initial part of discharge current (Phantom current). Based on the results observed, the possible mechanisms for increasing the power are discussed.     

Measurement of thermal rise-time of a laser diode based on spectrally resolved waveforms

Thermal resistance and thermal rise-time are two basic parameters that affect most of the performances of a laser diode greatly. By measuring waveforms received after a spectroscope at wavelengths varied step-by-step, the spectrally resolved waveforms can be converted to calculate the thermal rise-time. Basic formulas for the spectrum variation of a laser diode and the measurement set-up by using a Boxcar are described in the paper. As an example, the thermal rise-time of a p-side up packaged short-pulse laser diode was measured by the method to be 390 μs. The method will be useful in characterizing diode lasers and LD modules in high-power applications.     

连续激光内通道传输的弱可压缩流模型

 分析了激光在气体中传输时采用等压近似线性方程求解流场密度分布的优缺点,在高低速流场统一计算模型的基础上提出了基于压力原变量的分步求解的弱可压缩流计算模型,并分析了该模型的特点。采用该模型结合标量衍射理论对连续激光在封闭充气管道中受到的气体热效应影响进行了数值仿真。仿真结果与实验结果的对比表明,弱可压缩流计算模型能更精确地反映非自由边界热对流对气体密度分布的影响,进而反映流场对光束的影响。这说明弱可压缩流计算模型能较好地适应内通道光传输问题的仿真研究。