On the performance characteristics of multiple pass hydrogen fluoride chemical laser master oscillator/power amplifiers

The performance of a cw Hydrogen Fluoride (HF) chemical laser master oscillator with power amplifier was measured as a function of input power, the number of passes through the gain media, location of the optical axis of the input beam and oscillator/amplifier flow field match/mismatch. The amplification ratio is an inverse function of the input power (intensity) and, for maximum amplification, the peak of the intensity distribution must be matched to the peak of the zero power gain distribution in the amplifier. The measured single pass P$\sb{\rm out}$ versus P$\sb{\rm in}$ performance curve showed that, after a continuous increase, the difference P$\sb{\rm out} \cdot$ P$\sb{\rm in}$ remained almost constant over a wide range of input powers and that about one third of a device's oscillator output must be input to obtain single pass amplifier output equal to the device's oscillator performance. For two pass amplification, a substantial performance advantage was measured when the two passes overlapped at least sixty percent and filled less than eighty percent of the zero power gain zone of the amplifier. The measured two pass P$\sb{\rm out}$ versus P$\sb{\rm in}$ performance curve was significantly above the single pass data and showed that only one sixth of a device's oscillator output must be input to obtain two pass amplifier output equal to the device's oscillator performance.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Aerospace Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• Waldo, Robert Eugene

Contributors dc:contributor

• Sentman, Lee H.

• Engineering, Aerospace
• Engineering, Electronics and Electrical

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 1991 Waldo, Robert Eugene

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

AAI9211023
(UMI)AAI9211023

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/22327