Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Heating-Effect Minimization In Dye Lasers, Kenneth Lee Matheson, James M. Thorne

Faculty Publications

Optical pumping of dye lasers deposits heat nonuniformly in the active medium. Because the refractive index of a liquid or gas is a function of temperature, gradients are created which refract the laser beam. This effect is sometimes serious enough to quench laser action. In this paper, we evaluate the effects caused by optical pumping with a coaxial flashlamp and suggest ultraviolet absorbers and wavelength shifters as materials for minimizing the problem