CRYSTALLINE MATERIALS Introduction Physical Properties Optical Properties Mechanical Properties Thermal Properties Magnetooptic Properties Electrooptic Properties Elastooptic Properties Nonlinear Optical Properties GLASSES Introduction Commercial Optical Glasses Specialty Optical Glasses Fused Silica Fluoride Glasses Chalcogenide Glasses Magnetooptic Properties Electrooptic Properties Elastooptic Properties Nonlinear Optical Properties Special Glasses POLYMERIC MATERIALS Optical Plastics Index of Refraction Nonlinear Optical Properties Thermal Properties Engineering Data METALS Physical Properties of Selected Metals Optical Properties Mechanical Properties Thermal Properties Mirror Substrate Materials LIQUIDS Introduction Water Physical Properties of Selected Liquids Index of Refraction Nonlinear Optical Properties Magnetooptic Properties Commercial Optical Liquids GASES Introduction Physical Properties of Selected Gases Index of Refraction Nonlinear Optical Properties Magnetooptic Properties Atomic Resonance Filters APPENDICES Safe Handling of Optical Materials Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Mineralogical or Common Names for Optical Materials Abbreviations for Methods of Preparing Optical Materials and Thin Films Fundamental Physical Constants Units and Conversion Factors

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Handbook of Optical Materials

LASER INSULATING CRYSTALS AND THEIR STIMULATED EMISSION Development of Crystal-Laser Physics (Short Historical Remarks) Fluorine- and Oxygen-Containing Laser Crystalline Hosts and Their Activator Ions Other Laser Crystals Stimulated-Emission Channels of Activated Insulating Laser Crystals Stimulated Emission 4fN-4fN and 4fN-15d1-4fN Channels of Ln3+ Ions Laser Channels of Ln2+ and U3+ Ions Laser Channels of Cr3+, Cr4+, Ti3+, and Mn5+ Ions Laser Channels of TM2+ Activators Crystalline Laser Hosts for Obtaining Generation of Ln3+ Activators at New Wavelengths References ENERGY LEVELS AND OPTICAL-TRANSITION INTENSITIES OF GENERATING ACTIVATORS IN INSULATING LASER CRYSTALS Stark-Level Structure of Lasing Activator Ions Basic Concepts of Modern Crystal-Field Theory Stark-Level Energies of Generating Ions in Laser Insulating Crystals (Experimental Data) References Intensity of Radiative Transitions of Ln3+ Activators in Insulating Laser Crystals Electric Dipole Transitions Judd-Ofelt Intensity Parameters Wi Magnetic Dipole Transitions Spectroscopic-Quality Parameters of Insulating Laser Crystals with Ln3+ Activators References Multiphonon 4fN-4fN Nonradiative Transitions of Ln3+ Activators in Laser Crystals Principal Mechanisms of the Modern Theory of Nonradiative Relaxation of Ln3+ Ions in Crystals Energy-Gap Law - Dependence of WJJc on DEJJc References MULTILEVEL OPERATING LASER SCHEMES FOR THE EXCITATION OF STIMULATED EMISSION IN ACTIVATED CRYSTALS Cascade Operating Schemes for Crystalline Lasers Cascade Laser Schemes for Crystals Doped with Ln3+ Activators Features of Cascade Generation of the Ln3+ Ions in Crystals Cross-Cascade Laser Schemes for Crystals Doped with Ln3+ Activators References Sensitizing, Deactivating, and Feed-Flowing Operating Schemes for Crystalline Lasers Sensitizing Laser Schemes Deactivating Laser Schemes Feed-Flowing Laser Schemes Laser Action of Unlike Ln3+ Ion-Doped Crystals References Stepwise Laser Operating Schemes for Crystals Doped with Ln3+ Activator Ions Upconversion and Stimulated Emission of Ln3+ Ions in Crystals at High-Level Energy Excitation Upconversion Operating Laser Schemes for Er3+ Ion-Doped Crystals Operating Laser Schemes with Stepwise Absorption of Pump Quanta for YAlO3 and LiYF4 Crystals Doped with Er3+ Ions References Cross-Relaxation Operating Schemes for Crystalline Lasers Cross-Relaxation Laser Operating Schemes with Quantum Efficiency Equal to 1 Cross-Relaxation Laser Operating Schemes with Quantum Efficiency Equal to 2 Cross-Relaxation Laser Operating Schemes with Quantum Efficiency Equal to 3 Three-Micron 5I6 (R)yy5I7 Laser Channel of Ho3+ Ions in the BaYb2F8 Crystal References Laser Operating Schemes with Strong Depopulation of the Ground States of Generating Ln3+ Ions Ground-State Lifting - a Way to Increase Crystalline-Laser Efficiency Laser Action of Ln3+ Ions in Insulating Crystals Under Condition of Ground-State-Level Depletion Photon-Avalanche Phenomena in Laser Crystals with Ln3+ Activators References NOVEL AND PROMISING TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PHYSICS AND TECHNIQUE OF CRYSTALLINE LASERS New Generation of Crystalline Lasers Laser Action of Crystals Doped with Ln3+ Ions under Selective Laser Pumping Miniature Crystalline Lasers with High Density of Waveguiding Laser Pumping Crystalline Lasers with Self-Frequency Conversion Solar-Pumped Crystalline Lasers References Concluding Remarks The Current State in Laser-Diode-Pumped Crystalline Laser Development (Table Data) Up-to-Date Survey of Crystalline Upconversion Lasers (Table Data) Praseodymium Crystalline Lasers for the Creation of "White" Laser Light References Appendix A: Crystalline Hosts and Lasing Ions Index

Crystalline Lasers: Physical Processes and Operating Schemes

A hybrid wireless optical and radio frequency (RF) communication link utilizes parallel free-space optical and RF paths for transmitting data and control and status information. The optical link provides the primary path for the data, and the RF link provides a concurrent or backup path for the network data, as well as a reliable and primary path for the control and status information. When atmospheric conditions degrade the optical link to the point at which optical data transmission fails, the hybrid communication link switches to the RF link to maintain availability of data communications. The switch may occur automatically, based on an assessment of the quality of the optical signal communicated through the optical path.

Hybrid wireless optical and radio frequency communication link

This tutorial presents the theory necessary to model the propagation of light through an atomic vapour. The history of atom–light interaction theories is reviewed, and examples of resulting applications are provided. A numerical model is developed and results presented. Analytic solutions to the theory are found, based on approximations to the numerical work. These solutions are found to be in excellent agreement with experimental measurements.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0953-4075/47/9/093001/pdf

Light propagation through atomic vapours

Sub-Doppler spectroscopy by sub-micron thin Cs vapour layer

To achieve quantum-noise-limited performance, background-limited laser receivers require narrow-band optical filters. We measured and modeled the ultranarrow-band transmission spectrum of a Cs Faraday filter at 852 nm. The transmission spectrum consisted of passbands on either side of the 6 2S1/2–6 2P3/2 hyperfine doublet lines, making a total of four. The passbands may be simple peaks or highly modulated, depending on the operating parameters. We observed peaked passbands of near-unity transmission with a 0.6-GHz bandwidth and modulated bands with features as sharp as 100MHz. Excellent agreement with our calculations at 852 nm allows us to predict confidently a 0.7-GHz transmission band for Cs at 455 nm.

Ultranarrow line filtering using a Cs Faraday filter at 852 nm.

Laser satellite networking is a key element of effective communications operations to support both strategic and tactical missions. Lasercom offers a number of important advantages over conventional RF satellite communications. The shorter wavelength available using lasers provides higher data rates at less power and smaller apertures, both resulting in lower weight requirements. On the other hand, lasercom entails more difficulty in acquisition and tracking because of the narrow beams used. Technology problems to be overcome before intersatellite laser communications can reliably outperform RF communications include acquisition in the presence of significant background light from the earth, tracking to resolutions of a few microradians, high speed modulation of semiconductor lasers with close to one watt of power in a diffraction limited beam, high bandwidth low noise detector response, and demonstrated long term performance. We have developed critical technologies to solve some of these problems, and demonstrated them in a laboratory testbed which also supports development and testing of network protocols and algorithms. Our hardware provides new capability in background light rejection by using innovative atomic line filter technology, improved tracking accuracy by using innovative zero backlash Roto-Lok drive gimbal telescopes, and increased communications bandwidth by incorporating multi-link networking protocols.

Status of SDIO/IS&T lasercom testbed program

A Q-switched alexandrite laser injection seeded by a rubidium absorption frequency matched diode laser

To reduce power requirements for a high data rate optical satellite communications network it is advantageous to broadcast a signal with a very small angular divergence. If the receiver also has a narrow field of view, background light (from the daylit earth, etc.) can be sufficiently blocked with conventional passive filters. A narrow communications transceiver field of view, however, requires an accurate mutual tracking capability. Initial acquisition and subsequent tracking will require a tracking receiver with a much larger field of view than what is necessary for communications. To minimize weight and absolute pointing requirements on the telescope steering mechanism, this field of view should be as large as possible subject to the constraint of keeping collected background light levels below an acceptable level, and maintaining a tracking accuracy better than the communications laser divergence angle. Background light can be minimized and tracking accuracy can be maintained by using a narrow bandwidth, wide field of view imaging atomic line filter which matches the wavelength of a semiconductor diode laser. The operational principles of such an active image preserving atomic line filter are explained, especially as related to satellite tracking for a communications network. Preliminary results showing image preservation at a spatial resolution of 0.5 mm by a cesium atomic line filter at 852 nm with an acceptance bandwidth of 0.002 nm are presented. Expected limiting resolution, conversion efficiency, time response and laser power requirements for image preserving alkali atomic line filters are also discussed.

Imaging atomic line filter for satellite tracking

Laser communications between satellites, high flying aircraft (such as JSTARS), and the ground offer the potential to transfer extremely high amounts of information faster and with a much smaller package than is possible using current radio frequency and microwave technologies. This can be especially important in downlinking time sensitive satellite reconnaissance information because the satellite stays within range of a ground station or aircraft for only a few minutes. A capability to downlink from a satellite to an aircraft can provide all weather performance, and multiple data transfers for every satellite orbit. Over the last few years, SDIO (now BMDO) has funded a number of technology efforts through the US Army Space and Strategic Defense Command reducing the risks associated with laser communications. This paper describes one of these efforts which is now being carried forward to an Advanced Technology Demonstration at ThermoTrex Corporation. The program will lead to the demonstration of high data rate communications of 270 MBPS (Mega Bits Per Second) to 1.08 GBPS (Giga Bits Per Second) between high altitude aircraft and possibly between a satellite and the ground. The Laser Communications Terminals incorporate Atomic Line Filter technology for background light rejection during acquisition, reactionless Roto-Lok offset cable drive gimbals for fast slewing and high accuracy pointing, and direct digital modulation of semiconductor diode lasers detected with low noise avalanche photodiodes. We present designs and preliminary performance results for both a simplified terminal appropriate for a near term satellite-to-ground data transfer experiment, and a full capability terminal appropriate for ground, aircraft, or satellite operations.

C. S. Liu

Papers

Ultranarrow line filtering using a Cs Faraday filter at 852 nm.

Status of SDIO/IS&T lasercom testbed program

A Q-switched alexandrite laser injection seeded by a rubidium absorption frequency matched diode laser

Imaging atomic line filter for satellite tracking

Status of BMDO/IST lasercom advanced technology demonstration