Development of a potassium hydrogen phosphate adhesive for use in KDP laser arrays

The dehydration of the more acidic, amorphous alkali phosphates was studied. These phosphate materials are potential candidates for use as an optical adhesive in preparing the KDP-glass arrays for use as harmonic generators in Nova and other advanced laser systems. The adhesive nature of the KH5(PO4) 2-based materials that were dehydrated enough to remove the crystal forming phase was tested in two types of qualitative experiments. In both tests the phosphate based adhesive formed a remarkably strong bond with striking clarity and very good refractive index matching. However, minute traces of water introduced during handling and exposure to the air caused crystallites to form in the adhesive within minutes.