Abstract

Titanium-doped sapphire (Ti:sapphire) holds the promise of providing a broadly tunable solid-state laser source useful for remote sensing of the atmosphere from spaceborne platforms. Reliable and efficient high energy operation of a Ti:sapphire laser depends on the thermal properties of the material and on its quantum efficiency. Using a dynamic electric heating technique¹ we measured the specific heat capacity and the principal components of the thermal conductivity tensor of a Ti:sapphire crystal. Using an integrating sphere with 51-cm diameter we measured the quantum efficiency and the total scattering cross section. Determination of these physical characteristics for this uniaxial material is important for scaling and modeling efforts. In addition, preliminary tests of the radiation resistance of Ti:sapphire were made by examination of the absorption and emission spectra and determination of the quantum efficiency before and after exposure to 10¹⁰ rad of 1-MeV electrons from a linear accelerator.

© 1986 Optical Society of America