Diagnostics of nonradiative defects in the bulk and surface of Brewster-cut Ti:sapphire laser materials using photothermal radiometry

The understanding of the problem of nonradiative energy conversion in solid-state laser materials is a key factor in improving the overall efficiency of solid-state lasers. Furthermore, the reduction of the heat generated in an optically pumped laser crystal can lead to several new applications of solid-state lasers, especially in the high-power region. To improve the quality of grown crystals, laser crystal growers require accurate techniques to perform the quality control that is so vital to improving the growth process. Using a time-domain approach and a time-domain theoretical treatment of the IR radiative emission signal, it was determined that one may probe nonradiative surface and bulk processes by monitoring different time ranges. Our results show that photothermal radiometry can be used as a single-ended technique to evaluate both the bulk and surface nonradiative energy conversion rates in a solid-state laser material. This technique was compared to the standard laser cavity technique and it was concluded that photothermal radiometry can provide additional information to the standard technique by identifying the sources of heat generation as either surface- or bulk-originating.