Researcher Determining a Ruby Laser’s Effect on a Crystal

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center researcher Americo Forestieri aims a ruby laser beam at a crystal to determine the effects of its radiation. Forestieri was a researcher in the Electric Component Experiment Section of the Space Power System Division. Lewis was in the midst of a long-term effort to develop methods of delivering electrical power to spacecraft using nuclear, solar, or electrochemical technologies.

Ruby lasers contain a ruby crystal with mirrors on either side. The laser action is created when a high-intensity lamp shines around the ruby and excites the electrons in the ruby’s chromium atoms. After the excitation, the electrons emit their ruby-red light. The mirrors reflect some of this red light back and forth inside the ruby which causes other excited chromium atoms to produce additional red light. This continues until the light pulse reaches high power levels and consumes all of the energy stored in the crystal.

Forestieri used optical absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance techniques to study the extent and manner in which the radiation interacted with the samples. He determined that individual bands were assigned to specific electronic transitions. He also studied the atomic changes in the ruby crystals after irradiation. He found that complex interactions depend on the crystal pretreatment, purity, and irradiation dose.