Abstract

Exact values of the temperature coefficient of the refractive index (dn/dT) and the coefficient of thermal expansion (α) are necessary in order to calculate thermal lensing and design new concepts of solid state lasers. We have developed an interferometric method to measure simultaneously both coefficients of a laser crystal as a function of temperature in the interval from 20 ^◦C to 80 ^◦C [1]. These values and their variation with temperature can be used for an air-cooled laser operating at room temperature, since the temperature inside the laser crystal can be significantly above room temperature.

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