Abstract

Even with the best fluorescent liquids presently available, the degree of excitation required to reach laser threshold is so high that significant thermal and refractive gradients are established in the liquid. These refractive gradients cause deflections of light rays inside the laser cavity which produce the same kind of losses as those due to misaligned or poorly figured reflectors. The effect is illustrated by calculation of an example, europium thenoyltrifluoroacetonate in toluene at −13°C, in which rays originally parallel to the axis are deflected about 1° in 4 cm of travel. Some expedients for avoiding the bad effects of refractive gradients are suggested.

© 1964 Optical Society of America

Thermal Effects in Laser Amplifiers and Oscillators

A. E. Blume and K. F. Tittel
Appl. Opt. 3(4) 527-530 (1964)

Moiré Patterns: Their Application to Refractive Index and Refractive Index Gradient Measurements

Yasunori Nishijima and Gerald Oster
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 54(1) 1-5 (1964)

Correction of laser tracking data for the effects of horizontal refractivity gradients

C. S. Gardner
Appl. Opt. 16(9) 2427-2432 (1977)

Strain Effects in Electrooptic Light Modulators

I. P. Kaminow
Appl. Opt. 3(4) 511-515 (1964)

Exfocal Pumping of Optical Masers in Elliptical Mirrors

Dieter Roess
Appl. Opt. 3(2) 259-265 (1964)