Stimulated Optical Emission in Fluorescent Solids. II. Spectroscopy and Stimulated Emission in Ruby

Abstract

Optical absorption cross sections and the fluorescent quantum efficiency in ruby have been determined. This data has been used to correlate calculations with the analysis of the preceding paper. Stimulated emission from ruby under pulsed excitation has been studied in some detail; the observations are found to depend strongly on the perfection of the particular crystal under study. A peak power output of approximately 5 kw, total output energy of near 1 joule, beam collimation of less than ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ rad, and a spectral width of individual components in the output radiation of about 6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$A at 6943 A have been measured. It is suggested that mode instabilities due to temperature shifts and a time-varying magnetic field are contributing to an oscillatory behavior of the output pulse.