Ultimate energy parameters of the radiation emitted from neodymium-glass laser systems

An experimental investigation was made of the energy conversion efficiency and of the effects of stimulated Brillouin scattering and of optical breakdown, limiting the maximum energy density obtained from several phosphate and silicate neodymium glasses when the duration of the output pulses was 50–150 ns. The experimental results were used to develop a numerical model for calculation of the gain allowing for these processes. A design was developed for an amplifier with ultimate radiation characteristics.