Comparative Test Of Bulk Laser-Induced Damage Of Experimental Crystals At 0.85 Μm

Comparative tests of bulk laser-induced damage of some experimental crystals having prospects for laser applications were performed for evaluation of exploitation reliability of elements made from these crystals. A number of fluoride and oxide crystals doped with ions of Ce, Cr, Ti, and Zr were studied in these measurements. BK7 glass was tested under the same experimental conditions as a comparison. Pulses from a single transverse mode, Cr:LiSAF laser (λ = 0.85 μm, τ to approximately 60 ns) were used in these experiments. The laser radiation was focused to a small spot size (2 μm) in the bulk of these crystals to exclude the influence of inclusions and inhomogeneities on the results. Absorption spectra of these crystals were measured to be sure that there is no strong absorption in the region of the irradiating wavelength. The possible effects of dopant ions on the laser-induced damage thresholds of the crystals studied is discussed