Self-compensation for thermooptical inhomogeneities in repetitively pulsed solid-state lasers utilizing optically dense active media

Dynamic self-compensation for thermooptical inhomogeneities in optically dense active media of solid-state lasers is studied theoretically and experimentally. A solid-state laser utilizing optically dense active media was developed which is highly efficient for high average lasing powers at satifactory divergence of the emitted radiation. The distribution of the thermal flux in a YAG:Nd(3+) slab at f = 5 GHz is presented as well as the kinetics of the distribution of the thermal flux in an yttrium-scandium-gallium garnet:Cr(3+), Nd(3+) slab and in a gadolinium-scandium-aluminum garnet:Cr(3+), Nd(3+) slab at f = 5, 10, and 20 GHz for three moments in time.