Slab laser development at MSNW - The Gemini and Centurion systems

Two, zig-zag-optical-path, slab-geometry, solid-state lasers, referred to as Gemini and Centurion, are described. The Nd:glass laser (Gemini) uses a pump geometry in which the flash lamps are located between two slabs in the same laser head. The dimensions and functions of the glass slabs are studied and the single-sided pumping of the Nd:glass laser is examined. The system is verified using the Nd:YAG laser system (Centurion). The Centurion system uses four flash lamps to pump a single 6 mm x 2 cm x 15.5 cm Nd:YAG slab; the reflector structure of the system is analyzed. The thermal-optical model for the Nd:glass laser and the Trace 3D, a three-dimensional flashlamp-slab coupling code, are evaluated. The oscillation performance and defocusing of a single-pass beam are measured; it is observed that the single-sided pump output is 30 percent more efficient than the standard configuration and no major defocusing effect is detected. The use of the Trace 3D code to design a reflector system for Gemini is discussed.