Characterization of high power flashlamps and application to Nd:glass laser pumping

Detailed spectral and temporal measurements of the output radiation from Xe flashlamps are reported together with their use in predicting the pumping efficiency of Nd-doped laser glass. We have made absolute spectral-intensity measurements for 0.5, 1.5, and 4.2-cm-bore flashlamps for input powers ranging from 5 to 90 kW/cm2 and pulselengths of 600 μs. Under quasi-stationary conditions these flashlamps emit essentially identical spectra when excited at equal input power per unit-area of the bore. This behavior is characteristic of an optically-thick radiator although it is not completely clear why flashlamps should behave this way. A simple model is also described which accounts for the transient response of flashlamps by characterizing the output spectra and radiation efficiencies in terms of the radiant output power rather than the electrical input power. 23 refs., 16 figs