Raman gain measurements in bulk glass samples

Increased interest in highly nonlinear glasses for use as Raman amplifiers has encouraged the development of an experimental apparatus to measure the material Raman gain coefficient on millimeter-thick bulk glass samples. Apparatus design considerations, details of the apparatus, and justification for the data analysis employed are provided. The apparatus is a powerful tool offering the ability to quickly screen glass samples over a wide range of compositions without the time and cost of fiberizing candidate materials into a guiding geometry to directly measure Raman gain. (C) 2005 Optical Society of America