Thermo-optical properties of beryllium containing oxide crystals as materials for high power laser systems

摘要

The elastic and thermo-optical properties of chrysoberyl, beryllium hexaaluminate and beryllium-lanthanum hexaaluminate crystals have been experimentally studied. The velocities of elastic-wave propagation in the crystals are measured by acousto-optic interference method. The values of all the independent components of elastic-constant tensor are determined and used to calculate a number of important dynamic parameters of the crystals such as the Young's and shear moduli, the modulus of volume elasticity, Poisson's ratio, the Debye temperature. Also measurements of refractive indices in 25 - 75 C temperature range in VIS spectral region were performed. Using experimental data the dispersion of thermal optical coefficients (dn/dT) was calculated, these data were employed to evaluate the thermal lens in beryllium containing laser crystals. The experimental and calculated data are compared with similar parameters for well-known laser hosts. Some of beryllium containing oxide crystals was shown to be candidates for master oscillator and amplifying stages of high power femtosecond laser systems.