Note the attached RCA internal magazine is 1963ish. The Laser was invented about two years earlier.
I get question after question on Solid State Laser Crystal growth..
This publication has a pretty good explanation of why it it is difficult and expensive. What they do not mention is the time scale. A modern growth cycle takes weeks for the less useful materials and months if not six months for the good stuff.
Enjoy a story on growing early laser crystals. Modern stuff grows at even hotter temperatures. Iridium crucibles, anyone?
Incidentally down the road they preferred Uranium for the dopant until the correct valance state of Neodymium was developed.
Although they give hope for useful crystals that grow at a mere 500'C, I can tell you that with one far IR exception, that does not happen.
If your ever trying to dope a modern glass with a rare earth, order the nitrate if possible, not the oxide. Ask me how I know... It took a while to find a flux to aide in dissolving Nd2O3 in low melting glass formulations...
Upload is too big for the server and I don't have a PDF editor.. So enjoy the link while it lasts. Steve
I get question after question on Solid State Laser Crystal growth..
This publication has a pretty good explanation of why it it is difficult and expensive. What they do not mention is the time scale. A modern growth cycle takes weeks for the less useful materials and months if not six months for the good stuff.
Enjoy a story on growing early laser crystals. Modern stuff grows at even hotter temperatures. Iridium crucibles, anyone?
Incidentally down the road they preferred Uranium for the dopant until the correct valance state of Neodymium was developed.
Although they give hope for useful crystals that grow at a mere 500'C, I can tell you that with one far IR exception, that does not happen.
If your ever trying to dope a modern glass with a rare earth, order the nitrate if possible, not the oxide. Ask me how I know... It took a while to find a flux to aide in dissolving Nd2O3 in low melting glass formulations...
Upload is too big for the server and I don't have a PDF editor.. So enjoy the link while it lasts. Steve
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