Performance of a CW pumped Nd:YVO4 amplifier with kHz pulses

Until recently, simple and reliable high repetition-rate laser sources with nanosecond pulses much shorter than from conventional A-O Q-switch lasers were not available. However over the past 2 years we have developed such lasers based on proprietary fast E-O switching technology, which allows designs delivering 1 ns pulses and subnanosecond jitter for good synchronisation. The technology provides pulses with multi-kW peak power and repetition-rates to >100 kHz.Most recently, the performance of these short pulse lasers has been developed further by implementing oscillator/amplifier (master oscillator and power amplifier, MOPA) technology which increases the output to >1 W average power. Here we report on a simple model that has been used to predict the performance of the CW pumped Nd:YVO₄ amplifier used in the MOPA laser. The model is based on the well-known expressions for the saturated gain applying to laser pulses, but more usually applied to pulse-excited amplifiers. The model is shown to allow a good interpretation of the amplifier behaviour for kHz pulses and to be a useful tool for predicting the performance of the MOPA laser.     

Photoinduced intramolecular electron-transfer reactions in carbazole-fullerene and phenothiazine-fullerene linked compounds in benzene and benzonitrile as studied by fluorescence, transient absorption, time-resolved EPR, and magnetic field effects

Photoinduced intramolecular electron-transfer reactions in carbazole (Cz)-fullerene (C₆₀) (Cz(8)C₆₀) and phenothiazine (Ph)-C₆₀ (Ph(n)C₆₀ (n=8, 10, 12)) linked compounds have been investigated in benzene and benzonitrile by fluorescence, transient absorption, and time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance measurements, and by magnetic field effects on the decay rate constants of the photogenerated biradicals. In benzonitrile, photoinduced intramolecular electron transfer from Cz to the singlet excited state of C₆₀ (¹C₆₀ ^*) occurred in Cz(8)C₆₀, but not to the triplet excited state (³C₆₀ ^*), while the intramolecular electron-transfer to both¹C₆₀ ^* and³C₆₀ ^* occurred in Ph(n)C₆₀ (n=8, 10, 12). In benzene, on the other hand, no electron transfer to both¹C₆₀ ^* and³C₆₀ ^* took place in all linked compounds. These results were interpreted in terms of the different Gibbs free energy changes in the two solvents.     

Hutchinson's shear coefficient for anisotropic beams

Timoshenko's theory of vibrating beams requires a shear correction factor to correctly take into account the effects of shear deformation for different beam cross-sections. This correction is crucial for a precise determination of the shear modulus from the resonant frequencies. Hutchinson's beam theory is used to derive a new shear correction coefficient for anisotropic materials. A comparison is made with other shear coefficients for anisotropic materials published in the literature. Computer-simulated spectra are used to validate the new anisotropic shear correction coefficient.     

Vector coupled-wave method for analyzing diffraction by multilayer gratings

In the framework of the matrix formulation of the coupled plane wave approach, a method is proposed for increasing the stability of the numerical analysis of vector electromagnetic fields in periodic structures, including dielectric and metallic anisotropic layers and relief boundaries.     

Ion source with a cold magnetron cathode and magnetic plasma compression

The operating principles, design, and characteristics of an ion source with a cold magnetron cathode and magnetic plasma compression are described. The source is intended for the injector of a linear proton accelerator.     

Calculation of the vibrational spectra of copper crystals with vacancies

The local vibrational spectra of copper crystals containing vacancies are calculated using the pair atomic potential derived in the framework of the resonance pseudopotential theory. The calculations are performed by a recursive method with due regard for the symmetry of the defect region. The frequencies of the vacancy-induced resonance vibrations of different symmetries are determined.     

Transition flow of rarefied gases: Current models and methods of simulation

Transition (molecular-viscous) isothermal channel flow of rarefied gases is considered. Present-day engineering physical models of transition gas flow and methods of simulation are analyzed and verified in terms of the kinetic theory on the micro-and macrolevels.     

The action of an electron beam on dust structures in a plasma

The action of an electron beam on ordered dust structures in glow and low-pressure RF discharges was studied experimentally. The electron beam produces destruction and dynamic displacement of the dust structure. In the center of a dust structure, an electron beam with a low electron energy (tens of eV) at currents up to 1 mA caused structural disordering and “melting” in the region of its action but did not excite external crystal regions. Local action of an electron beam with a high electron energy (25 keV) and a beam current above 10 mA caused deformation of the whole dust structure and shifted it in the horizontal direction so that it was carried away from the RF discharge zone. The effect of dust structure displacements can be used to locally remove particles from a plasma.     

Specific features of magnetoabsorption resulting from exactly taking into account the electronic band spectrum

Effects related to the periodicity of the carrier dispersion relation in the reciprocal space are investigated. It is shown that, under certain conditions, magnetoabsorption in crystals exhibiting such dispersion significantly differs from the magnetoabsorption in crystals characterized by a parabolic dispersion relation for charge carriers.     

Dynamic interaction of plasma flow with the hot boundary layer of a geomagnetic trap

The study of the interaction between collisionless plasma flow and stagnant plasma revealed the presence of an outer boundary layer at the border of a geomagnetic trap, where the super-Alfvén subsonic laminar flow changes over to the dynamic regime characterized by the formation of accelerated magnetosonic jets and decelerated Alfvén flows with characteristic relaxation times of 10–20 min. The nonlinear interaction of fluctuations in the initial flow with the waves reflected from an obstacle explains the observed flow chaotization. The Cherenkov resonance of the magnetosonic jet with the fluctuation beats between the boundary layer and the incoming flow is the possible mechanism of its formation. In the flow reference system, the incoming particles are accelerated by the electric fields at the border of boundary layer that arise self-consistently as a result of the preceding wave-particle interactions; the inertial drift of the incoming ions in a transverse electric field increasing toward the border explains quantitatively the observed ion acceleration. The magnetosonic jets may carry away downstream up to a half of the unperturbed flow momentum, and their dynamic pressure is an order of magnitude higher than the magnetic pressure at the obstacle border. The appearance of nonequilibrium jets and the boundary-layer fluctuations are synchronized by the magnetosonic oscillations of the incoming flow at frequencies of 1–2 mHz.