Simple technique for fabrication of Nd-phosphate laser glass rods for high power lasers

Abstract

A technique for fabrication of Nd-glass laser rods from raw laser glass slab is presented. Cylindrical laser glass rods are prepared by using custom made glass sawing, milling and edging machines. A square section bar of laser glass, which is sawn from the slab, is converted to that with octagonal section by flat milling of the four corners of the square section bar. The rod with octagonal section is then transformed to a rod with right circular section in a glass edging machine. A ball-bearing based setup, which can be attached to the oscillatory arm of a conventional polishing machine, for simultaneous polishing of the flat end faces of a number of laser rods fixed in holders, is described. The method is suitable for fabrication of both large and small diameter laser rods.