Beam Deflection in a Pulsed Chemical Laser Amplifier

Analyses and experiments have been performed to investigate deflection of a Gaussian beam propagating through an amplifying medium possessing a strong transverse gain gradient. The analysis includes effects due to dispersion and gain steering. The experiments were performed in a high power pulsed chemical laser amplifier using a cw frequency stabilized laser as a source. Time dependent beam deflection due to the interaction of the gain gradient with the finite radius of curvature of the propagating beam was observed