Abstract

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL) Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS) Program has developed a high-average-power, pulsed, tunable, visible laser system. Testing of this hardware is in progress at industrial scales. The laser demonstration facility (LDF) system consists of copper vapor lasers arranged in oscillator-amplifier chains providing optical pump power to dyelaser master-oscillator-power-amplifier chains. This system is capable of thousands of watts (average) tunable between 550 and 650 nm. In the last several years, a number of other applications of AVLIS laser technology have been recognized and pursued at LLNL. Two of these to be dicussed in this presentation are laser material processing and atmospheric correction of astronomical telescopes. This presentation is divided into three parts: laser system summary, laser material processing with high brightness lasers, and sodium beacon generation for atmospheric correction.

© 1992 IQEC