Measurement of the residual birefringence distribution in glass laser disk by transverse zeeman laser

Abstract

This paper considers the measurement of the residual birefringence distribution in a glass laser disk by means of birefringent measurement equipment with a frequency-stabilized transverse Zeeman laser as a light source. The birefringence by the residual distortion of a glass laser amplifying medium is an important factor in determining its optical performance. A method of accurate measurement of the birefringence phase difference and the principal axis direction has been conceived based on an optical heterodyne method using a frequency-stabilized transverse Zeeman laser which is a two-frequency orthogonally polarized light source. This measurement system consists of a rotating half-wave plate, a rotating linear polarizer, a detector and electric phase meter and a personal computer. In this paper, the measurement principle and the error analysis are clarified with the use of Stokes parameters. The data processing method for the measured results and the experimentally observed minimum detection limit are described. With the present measurement system, birefringent measurement of an elliptic glass laser disk is carried out and its residual birefringence distribution is clarified.