TY - JOUR
T1 - Flowing-gas diode pumped alkali lasers
T2 - Theoretical analysis of transonic vs supersonic and subsonic devices
AU - Yacoby, Eyal
AU - Waichman, Karol
AU - Sadot, Oren
AU - Barmashenko, Boris D.
AU - Rosenwaks, Salman
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2016 Optical Society of America.
PY - 2016/3/7
Y1 - 2016/3/7
N2 - We examine transonic diode pumped alkali laser (DPAL) devices as a simpler alternative to supersonic devices, suggested by B.D. Barmashenko and S. Rosenwaks [Appl. Phys. Lett. 102, 141108 (2013)], where complex hardware, including supersonic nozzle, diffuser and high power mechanical pump, is required for continuous closed cycle operation. Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics modeling of transonic (Mach number M ∼0.9) Cs and K DPALs, taking into account the kinetic processes in the lasing medium is reported. The performance of these lasers is compared with that of supersonic (M ∼2.5) and subsonic (M ∼0.2) DPALs. For Cs DPAL the maximum achievable power of transonic device is lower than that of supersonic, with the same resonator and Cs density at the laser section inlet, by only ∼3% implying that supersonic operation mode has only small advantage over transonic. On the other hand, for subsonic laser the maximum power is by 7% lower than in transonic, showing larger advantage of transonic over subsonic operation mode. The power achieved in supersonic and transonic K DPALs is higher than in subsonic by ∼80% and ∼20%, respectively, showing a considerable advantage of supersonic device over transonic and of transonic over subsonic.
AB - We examine transonic diode pumped alkali laser (DPAL) devices as a simpler alternative to supersonic devices, suggested by B.D. Barmashenko and S. Rosenwaks [Appl. Phys. Lett. 102, 141108 (2013)], where complex hardware, including supersonic nozzle, diffuser and high power mechanical pump, is required for continuous closed cycle operation. Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics modeling of transonic (Mach number M ∼0.9) Cs and K DPALs, taking into account the kinetic processes in the lasing medium is reported. The performance of these lasers is compared with that of supersonic (M ∼2.5) and subsonic (M ∼0.2) DPALs. For Cs DPAL the maximum achievable power of transonic device is lower than that of supersonic, with the same resonator and Cs density at the laser section inlet, by only ∼3% implying that supersonic operation mode has only small advantage over transonic. On the other hand, for subsonic laser the maximum power is by 7% lower than in transonic, showing larger advantage of transonic over subsonic operation mode. The power achieved in supersonic and transonic K DPALs is higher than in subsonic by ∼80% and ∼20%, respectively, showing a considerable advantage of supersonic device over transonic and of transonic over subsonic.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84962159075&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.24.005469
DO - https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.24.005469
M3 - Article
C2 - 29092370
SN - 1094-4087
VL - 24
SP - 5469
EP - 5477
JO - Optics Express
JF - Optics Express
IS - 5
ER -