Abstract

A laser-like emission from powders of Nd doped luminophosphors was first reported in Ref. [1]. In Refs. [2], the coherence of a powder laser emission was characterized by a contrast of its speckle pattern and found to be very low. Low coherence powder laser sources can find applications in interial confinement laser fusion or holography tor which the coherent properties of laser light present severe drawbacks [2], Publication [2] did not answer the question on the transversal coherence length. Using two interferometric schemes, we examine the longitudinal and transversal coherence lengths in Nd_{0 5}La_{0 5}Al₃(BO₃)₄ powder laser. The scattering Nd_{0 5}La_{0 5}Al₃(BO₃)₄ sample was pumped with a Q-switched 0.532 µm laser. After the pumping energy exceeded some threshold value, Nd emission spectrum narrowed to a single line. The spectrally narrow light was emitted in one or several short (1 ns) pulses.

© 1998 IEEE