Time-resolved study electronic and thermal contributions to the nonlinear refractive index of Nd3+: SBN laser crystals

The propagation of an optical beam through dielectric media induces changes in the refractive index, An, which causes self-focusing or self-defocusing. In the particular case of ion-doped solids, there are thermal and non-thermal lens effects, where the latter is due to the polarizability difference, Delta alpha, between the excited and ground states, the so-called population lens (PL) effect. PL is a pure electronic contribution to the nonlinearity, while the thermal lens (TL) effect is caused by the conversion of part of the absorbed energy into heat. In time-resolved measurements such as Z-scan and TL transient experiments, it is not easy to separate these two contributions to nonlinear refractive index because they usually have similar response times. In this work, we performed time-resolved measurements using both Z-scan and mode mismatched TL in order to discriminate thermal and electronic contributions to the laser-induced refractive index change of the Nd3+-doped Strontium Barium Niobate (SrxBa1-xNb2O6) laser crystal. Combining numerical simulations with experimental results we could successfully distinguish between the two contributions to An. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spectroscopic and thermal characterization in poly(p-phenylene vinylene)/sol-gel silica sample

The absorption and luminescence spectra for the poly(p-phenylene vinylene)/sol-gel silica with different thermal treatments were measured. A considerable increase in the luminescence was observed for the polymer introduced into SiO2 matrix with thermal treatment at 120 degreesC. The thermal diffusivity of these samples was measured using the thermal lens technique, and the obtained value 3.3 x 10(-5) cm(2)/s (sample treated at 37 degreesC) is practically independent of the thermal treatment (37-150 degreesC). (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On observation of the downconversion mechanism in Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped tellurite glass using thermal and optical parameters

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Optical and thermal investigation of GeO2-PbO thin films doped with Au and Ag nanoparticles

The present work reports on the thermo-optical study of germanate thin films doped with Au and Ag nanoparticles. Transmission Electron Microscopy images, UV-visible absorption and Micro-Raman scattering evidenced the presence of nanoparticles and the formation of collective excitations, the so called surface plasmons. Moreover, the effects of the metallic nanoparticles in the thermal properties of the films were observed. The thermal lens technique was proposed to evaluate the Thermal Diffusivity (D) of the samples. It furnishes superficial spatial resolution of about 100 mu m, so it is appropriate to study inhomogeneous samples. It is shown that D may change up to a factor 3 over the surface of a film because of the differences in the nanoparticles concentration distribution. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Behavior of the thermal diffusivity of native and oxidized human low-density lipoprotein solutions studied by the Z-scan technique

Modifications in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) have emerged as a major pathogenic factor of atherosclerosis, which is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in the western world. Measurements of the heat diffusivity of human LDL solutions in their native and in vitro oxidized states are presented by using the Z-Scan (ZS) technique. Other complementary techniques were used to obtain the physical parameters necessary to interpret the optical results, e. g., pycnometry, refractometry, calorimetry, and spectrophotometry, and to understand the oxidation phase of LDL particles. To determine the sample's thermal diffusivity using the thermal lens model, an iterative one-parameter fitting method is proposed which takes into account several characteristic ZS time-dependent and the position-dependent transmittance measurements. Results show that the thermal diffusivity increases as a function of the LDL oxidation degree, which can be explained by the increase of the hydroperoxides production due to the oxidation process. The oxidation products go from one LDL to another, disseminating the oxidation process and caring the heat across the sample. This phenomenon leads to a quick thermal homogenization of the sample, avoiding the formation of the thermal lens in highly oxidized LDL solutions. (C) 2012 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). [DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.17.10.105003]

Electronic and thermal lensing in diode end-pumped Yb:YAG laser rods and discs

The lensing effects in diode end-pumped Yb:YAG laser rods and discs are studied. Two mechanisms of refractive-index changes are taken into account, thermal and electronic (due to the difference between the excited- and ground-state Yb polarisabilities), as well as pump-induced deformation of the laser crystal. Under pulsed pumping, the electronic lensing effect prevails over the thermal one in both rods and discs. In rods pumped by a highly focused cw beam, the dioptric power of the electronic lens exceeds that of the thermal lens, whereas in discs steady-state lensing is predominantly due to the thermal mechanism. © 2009 Kvantovaya Elektronika and Turpion Ltd.

Population lensing vs thermal lensing in Yb:YAG rods and disks

The induced lenses in the Yb:YAG rods and disks end-pumped by a Gaussian beam were analyzed both analytically and numerically. The thermally assisted mechanisms of the lens formation were considered to include: the conventional volume thermal index changes ("dn/dT"), the bulging of end faces, the photoelastic effect, and the bending (for a disk). The heat conduction equations (with an axial heat flux for a disk and a radial heat flux for a rod), and quasi-static thermoelastic equations (in the plane-stress approximation with free boundary conditions) were solved to find the thermal lens power. The population rate equation with saturation (by amplified spontaneous emission or an external wave) was examined to find the electronic lens power in the active elements.

梯度补偿法控温晶体的高功率绿光激光器

研究了平均功率超过30 W的稳定高效全固态绿光激光器,分析得出影响全固态腔内倍频激光器倍频效率和输出稳定性的主要因素是倍频晶体局部温升造成的相位失配和热透镜效应,采用温度梯度补偿控温法对大尺寸倍频晶体进行温度控制,降低激光器工作中倍频晶体内外温度梯度从而有效地克服因晶体局部温升造成的倍频相位匹配角失配和热透镜效应。采用三条60 W的半导体激光二极管阵列板条侧面抽运Nd:YAG激光增益介质棒,采用声光调Q,平凹直腔和腔内倍频结构配合温度梯度补偿控温法对大尺寸倍频晶体进行温度控制,得到了稳定高效的532 nm

激光二极管端面抽运Nd∶YVO4固体激光器热致光束畸变非对称的平衡

由于a轴切割Nd∶YVO4晶体的非对称性,使得激光二极管(LD)端面抽运Nd∶YVO4固体激光器不同于Nd∶YAG激光器,输出的激光经常产生非对称结果。用有限元法分析激光二极管端面抽运a轴切割Nd∶YVO4固体激光器的晶体热效应,包括温度分布、内部应力和产生的形变。分析结果表明端面抽运a轴切割Nd∶YVO4晶体产生了椭球热透镜效应。从结构方面和抽运方面提出了热透镜非对称性的平衡方法,实验验证了方法的可行性。

机载测深激光雷达千赫兹全固态激光器设计及特性研究

将千赫兹高功率全固态Nd：YAG激光器的增益介质当作厚透镜处理，使用矩阵的方法对等效热透镜腔进行分析。采用多条半导体激光列阵侧向紧凑抽运结构设计，提高了增益介质光抽运的均匀性。根据实际抽运功率，通过模拟计算，设计了平凸非稳腔。选择的凸面全反镜的最佳曲率半径有效地补偿了增益介质热透镜效应，激光器实现了动态稳腔运转，激光脉冲能量输出斜度效率大于13％，光束发散角优于1.3mrad。

高功率高重复频率全固态激光器热透镜效应补偿与分析

将kHz高功率固体激光器增益介质当作厚透镜处理，建立了热透镜效应分析的理论模型，使用矩阵的方法对等效热透镜腔进行分析。对增益介质抽运均匀性进行了改善，通过分析模拟计算结果。设计了混合非稳腔结构，选择了最佳凸面镜曲率半径对热透镜效应进行补偿。试验结果表明，补偿效果明显，kHz高功率全固态激光器的光束发散角优于1．3mrad。

热畸变对单板条热容激光器输出的影响

开展了激光二极管(LD)抽运的全固态热容激光器的理论与实验研究, 数值模拟了在热容工作条件下侧面抽运的Nd:YAG板条激光器的热透镜效应, 分析了热透镜效应对激光输出的影响, 并进行了相应的实验论证。实验中采用的晶体尺寸为57 mm×40 mm×4 mm, 激光二极管阵列的抽运峰值功率为12 kW, 重复频率为1 kHz, 占空比为20%, 为了获得较高的增益, 将抽运光通过光学系统进行聚焦, 抽运光在晶体侧面的光斑大小为15 mm×57 mm。实验中观察了1 s内的脉冲能量输出的波动情况, 在开始工作的

热退偏损耗完全补偿的千赫兹电光调QNd:YAG激光器

为了同时补偿固体增益介质的热致双折射及热透镜效应,进一步提高重复频率1 kHz激光二极管(LD)侧向抽运高平均功率电光调Q Nd:YAG激光器的输出功率,设计了一种完全消除热退偏损耗的双调Q开关谐振腔结构,此结构在传统调Q谐振腔的基础上沿着偏振片的退偏方向增加了一个调Q谐振支路,并使得激光从增益介质方向输出。实验结果表明,此激光器的单脉冲能量比单Q开关结构的非补偿腔输出能量高出74.7%。当侧面抽运的激光二极管输出脉冲能量达到307 mJ时,激光输出能量达到26.2 mJ,光-光转换效率为8.5%,光束发

Quasi-self-imaging planar waveguide lasers with high-power single-mode output

We describe high-power planar waveguide laser which can achieve single-mode output from a multi-mode structure. The planar waveguide is constructed with incomplete self-imaging properties, by which the coupling loss of each guided mode can be discriminated. Thermal lens effects are evaluated for single-mode operation of such high-power diode-pumped solid-state lasers. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

锯齿形板条抽运结构的热效应数值比较

激光二极管抽运的全固态激光器中,除了激光介质的温度分布和热透镜效应以外,抽运、冷却结构对获得高光束质量、高功率激光输出至关重要。基于热传导方程,在相同的抽运功率和传导冷却边界条件下,对单侧面抽运锯齿形(zigzag)板条、单侧面键合锯齿形板条、部分抽运板条三种不同抽运结构的温度分布、热致应力、温度导致的折射率变化进行了详细的分析,并通过光线追迹方法,比较了光束在锯齿形面内和垂直于锯齿形面内的光程差,由光程差曲线分析了激光束的热透镜效应。对三种抽运结构的端面温度、端面变形和端面变形导致的光程差也进行了对比分