Glasses with a large laser effect: Nd-phosphate and Nd-fluorophosphate

Abstract

Nd-phospate glasses with a great laser effect are described. They have large induced-emission cross sections and low thermal distortion. Those glasses can be used in small and medium laser equipment for processing of materials and for measuring techniques. Addition of fluorine (fluorophosphate glasses) produces a lowering of the nonlinear refractive index. Those glasses are particularly suitable for the final stages of large amplifier chains for nuclear fusion experiments. The nonlinear refractive index can be reduced as low as 0.5 x 10(-13) esu.