Reflection measurements at the interface between disk laser glass and edge cladding glass

Abstract

Glass laser disks are usually coated with solder glass to decrease the reflectivity of spontaneous emission at the edge and to suppress parasitic oscillations. Reflections at the disk edge have been experimentally studied as a function of refractive index matching between disk laser glass and edge cladding glass, absorption by edge cladding glass, and scattering by bubbles in edge cladding glass. To reduce reflection, the number of bubbles must be decreased at the interface between disk and cladding and the absorption coefficient of cladding glass must be as high as possible.