Cavity Dumped Laser Shock Peening Process

Author:  Azad et al.
Source:  US Patent 5,730,811
Doc ID:  1995030
Year of Publication:  1995
Abstract:  
A laser shock peening aparatus includes a cavity dumping laser oscillator including in optical serial alignment a first mirror, a Pockels cell, a polarizer, a laser rod, and a second mirror defining a cavity having an optical length between the mirrors. The laser rod is optically pumped to generate a laser beam in the cavity, and the Pockels cell has selective wave retardation to allow the beam to oscillate between the mirrors and increase energy therein, followed in turn by dumping the beam into a laser amplifier. The laser amplifier directs the amplified pulse at a target for laser shock peening thereof. The cavity length is selected to develop a substantially square-wave laser pulse for temporally shaping the resulting pressure pulse at the target.