Study of the activator impurity distribution in active elements of solid-state lasers by means of acousto-optical combination-scattering spectroscopy

The operating principles of a Raman acousto-optical spectrometer (a combination-scattering spectrometer) and an experimental setup incorporating this spectrometer are described. The combination-scattering spectra of the active element of a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum laser are presented for various points located along the sample length. The interpretation of these spectra allows estimation of the distribution of the average concentration of activator ions (neodymium ions) and the nonuniformity of this concentration (the deviation from the average value) along the laser rod.