Abstract

The Faraday devices are ones of the important laser optical elements which are used for isolating optical radiation, controlling its polarization, providing multipass amplification schemes and compensating thermally induced depolarization. These devices are among those in which a thermal self-action of laser radiation are most pronounced due to relatively high absorption (~10^-3 cm^-1) in magnetooptical elements (MOEs) and the need to use relatively long MOEs (~ 1-2 cm). Thermally induced birefringence arising in magnetooptical elements fully determines the efficiency of the devices at high average power of transmitted radiation. Thus, search for methods to reduce and compensate thermal effects in Faraday devices, as well as search and study of the properties of new magneto-active materials with better mechanical and thermooptical properties is a task of current importance.

© 2015 IEEE