Fig. 3. A solar-pumped solid-state laser system using a free-flyer type paraboloidal solar concentrator: 1, Solar radiation; 2, Paraboloidal solar concentrator; 3, Secondary mirror; 4, Orientation mechanism; 5, Flexible optical fiber; 6, Solar radiation for pumping; 7, Cooled laser rod; 8, Totally reflecting mirror; 9, Output mirror; 10, Laser beam. A SOLAR-PUMPED GAS LASER In order to increase output power of a solar-pumped laser, a large amount of solar energy must be collected by using a huge paraboloidal concentrator with a large focal length. As a focal length of a concentrator becomes large, a diam of the Sun's image also becomes large. Therefore, in a solar-pumped laser, a laser medium with large volume is necessary to increase output power. From this requirement, a gas laser medium is most profitable. To construct a solar-pumped gas laser with large output power usable in space, we must search for a suitable gas laser medium which can be used reversibly with a high conversion efficiency of energy. The construction and deployment of a huge solar concentrator are also important technologies to be developed. REFERENCE 1. H. Arashi, Y. Oka, N. Sasahara, A. Kaimai, and M. Ishigame, A Solar-Pumped cw 18 W Nd:YAG Laser, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 23, 1051, 1984.
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