This article is cited in 17 papers

Nonlinear optical phenomena

Changes in the refractive index of an Nd:YAG laser crystal on excitation of the Nd³⁺ ions

O. L. Antipov^a, A. S. Kuzhelev^a, A. Yu. Luk'yanov^b, A. P. Zinov'ev<sup>a

a</sup> Institute of Applied Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhny Novgorod
^b Institute for Physics of Microstructures, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhnii Novgorod

Abstract: A polarising interferometer was used to investigate changes in the refractive index of an Nd:YAG laser crystal associated with changes in the populations of the electronic energy levels characterised by different polarisabilities. The study was carried out on diode-pumped crystals as well as on crystals which were flashlamp-pumped under conditions of saturation of the gain experienced by the optical beam. The changes in the refractive index depended nonlinearly on the pump power. The ratio of the real and imaginary parts of the nonlinear susceptibility of an Nd:YAG laser amplifier was determined: this ratio rose from 0.2 to 1.2 when the gain increased from 0.2 to 0.45 cm^-1 .

PACS: 42.70.Hj, 42.55.Rz, 42.55.Xi

Received: 11.06.1998

 English version: Quantum Electronics, 1998, 28:10, 867–874

Bibliographic databases:

•