Computer aided design, optimization and performance enhancement of solid state laser cavities

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Egyptian Armed Forces.

2 Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University.

Abstract

Abstract:
Design of laser cavities is a complicated process. It includes several optical, geometrical and material parameters. Computer Aided Design of laser cavities reduces the time and effort required to reach the optimum design. In this paper an accurate and fast three dimensional CAD model for simulating solid-state laser systems is developed. Numerical estimations of the geometrical transfer efficiency of various cavities are presented. Analytical and iterative methods to achieve a feasible converged solution for designing optimum pumping champers which contains different geometrical dimensions of laser rods, flash lamps and walls reflectivity are discussed. A simulation study of the pumping efficiency of the laser heads with respect to the cavity geometry, different geometries of laser rods and flashlamps, and reflecting coatings have been carried out. The goal is to achieve a maximum concentration of the light flux of the pumping source towards the active medium. Results are presented using Matlab and Microsoft office excel. Computer aided design is then used to create three dimensional parametric model of laser cavity assembly. The proposed model has been compared with published results and shown to be very accurate and efficient for modeling three-dimensional solid-state laser chambers.

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