Using estimates of the effect of heating on the operation of a solid-state laser to select the laser parameters

A method is proposed for evaluating the possibility of lasing under conditions of intense heating in which the criterion used is the maximum operation time before the laser cutoff. An expression for evaluating this criterion is obtained, and the effects of the assumptions made on the accuracy of the predicted maximum lasing time are discussed. Examples are presented which show that the proposed criterion can be a useful tool in evaluating a laser design.