Abstract

Recently polycrystalline Nd:YAG ceramics used as an active medium has attracted much attention because of several essential advantages in comparison with a Nd:YAG single crystal.^1-4 In 2001 for the first time thermally induced depolarization in Nd:YAG ceramics was investigated experimentally.^2,3 The results obtained in these papers show that the depolarization in ceramics is qualitatively similar to depolarization in a single crystal. However, quantitatively this problem, to the best of our knowledge, has not been investigated. Moreover, the authors of Ref. [2,3] interpret their experimental data based on an erroneous statement that thermally induced birefringence has nothing with crystal axis. The given work is devoted to a detailed theoretical study of thermally induced depolarization in Nd:YAG ceramics and specific features of its compensation by the well- known technique with a 90 degree rotator.

© 2002 Optical Society of America