Abstract

This paper presents the design issues of benchtop sized slab lasers used in the heat capacity mode to achieve high peak power and energy delivered in a burst. Specific examples will be presented that are capable of extracting both 500 J/pulse and 5 KJ/pulse for bursts of 200 pulses. Heat capacity lasers are useful in applications that require high peak power, which can be accomplished with a specified amount of energy during a burst mode. For example, missile defense might use a high-altitude or space-based, laser radar, target illuminator and/or designator, or weapon, requiring powerful pulses over a few minutes of engagement. Industrial applications may include deep drilling in hardened steels, x-ray lithography, or other applications where the duty cycle may only require operation for a few minutes followed by a substantially longer setup time. Heat capacity glass slab lasers are well suited for this operation as they can deliver high peak power repetitively for a limited duration burst with high beam quality. The duration of the burst is constrained by the maximum allowable temperature rise in the laser glass after which the glass must be cooled to pre-burst conditions.

© 1993 Optical Society of America