Liquid laser cavities have plenum chambers at the ends of the capillary cell which are terminated in transparent optical flats. By use of these cavities, several new europium chelates and a terbium chelate can provide laser action in solution at room temperature

Bjorklund, S.

Filipescu, N.

Kellermeyer, G. L.

Mc Avoy, N.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

July 1969	 Brief 69-10234 
ISCA342Dh 
R.I. 1313	 KSC HQS. 
2 NASA TECH BRIEF 
NASA Tech Briefs are issued to summarize specific innovations derived from the U.S. space program, 
to encourage their commercial application. Copies are available to the public at 15 cents each 
from the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information, Springfield, Virginia 22151. 
Liquid Laser Cavities 
Coolant supply	 Filler tube 
Ultra-violet 
filter tube 
Chelate 
cell
Perpendicular 
mirror surface 
New liquid laser cavities have been developed in 
which the capillary cell is nearly three times longer 
than previously reported piston-type cells. These new 
cavities have plenum chambers at the ends of the cell 
which are terminated in transparent optical flats. The 
design allows the use of external confocal or plane 
mirrors and an accurate alignment. By use of these 
cavities, several new europium chelates and, for the 
first time, a terbium chelate can provide laser action 
in solution at room temperature. 
Since the cell is terminated in a highly transmissive 
glass flat, conventional gimbal-mounted resonator 
mirrors can be used. The mirrors are external to the 
cavity, and the spacing radii of curvature and mirror 
coatings may be changed independent of the laser 
cavity or the cell. This arrangement permits selection 
of resonator configuration, e.g., hemispherical, con-
focal, Fabry-Pevot, with no disturbance to the laser 
cell. Lasing action has been obtained from a variety 
of europium and terbium chelates at room tempera-
ture, not possible using conventional piston cells. 
The left figure shows the cell and window assembly. 
The cell is an 8-inch quartz tube with a 1-mm precision 
bore, having ends polished parallel to each other to 
wiHin one second of arc and perpendicular to the
Space r
tube
 
Quartz flat 
Mirror 
Gimbal 
1%11R^OA	 mount
bore axis within one minute of arc. Perpendicularity 
is established using shadowgraph projection tech-
niques and the mirrored end surfaces are used as 
reference planes for aligning the windows and resona-
tor mirrors. 
Three cavity designs have been used: a cylindrical 
cavity, and an elliptical cavity, both with linear flash-
lamps; and a cylindrical cavity with a coaxial flashlamp 
with the cell inside. The cylindrical cavity reflecting 
surface consists of a 10-cm id Pyrex cylinder, alumi-
nized and overcoated with silicon monoxide and is 
shown in the right figure. 
Notes: 
I. All three cavities have been successfully used to 
demonstrate laser action at room temperature from 
several new europium chelates in solution, in addi-
tion to those previously reported. 
2. No further documentation is available. Inquiries 
may be directed to: 
Technology Utilization Officer 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 
Reference: B69-10234
(continued overleaf) 
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States 
Govrnment nor any person acting on behalf of the United States
Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the 
information contained in this document, or warrants that such use 
will be free from privately owned rights.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19690000234 2020-03-16T17:45:35+00:00Z
Patent status: 
No patent action is contemplated by NASA. 
Source: N. McAvoy (GSFC), S. Bjorklund 
and G. L. Kellermeyer of 
Lockheed Electronics, 
and N. Filipescu of 
George Washington University 
under contract to 
Goddard Space Flight Center 
(GSC- 10592)
. 
E 
. 
Brief 69-10234	 Category 02


Liquid laser cavities

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