Nonlinear effects in inorganic liquid lasers

Inorganic liquids, phosphorous, and selenium oxychlorides, used as solvents for Nd, exhibit a number of nonlinear properties, which may reflect in the performance of liquid lasers. Spontaneous and stimulated Raman scattering have been studied. Measured cross sections and gains indicate that up to power levels of a few hundred megawatts per square centimeter the effect on laser and amplifier properties are negligible. No self-focusing has been observed. Under mode-locked conditions substantial conversion to Raman frequencies have been obtained. No connection has been found between stimulated Brillouin scattering and the phenomenon of self- -switching.