It was shown analytically and experimentally that when the cavity losses are perturbed, the output intensity experiences an amplitude modulation or becomes a regular train of spikes, with the frequency depending on both the frequency of perturbation as well as pump power. Coupled nonlinear rate equations including the cavity perturbation term, are solved numerically by a Runga-Kutta method using experimentally-measured parameter values for Nd: Y AG laser. A continuously pumped Nd: Y AG laser was used to verify this theory.

Introduction: For approximately the last eight years the Laser Section of the National Physical Research Laboratory (NPRL) has been interested in inter alia, pulsed solid-state lasers and in particular, Nd:YAG. Investigations of various resonator types were undertaken with a view to the improvement of the laser parameters such as output energy, pulse width, beam quality and sensitivity to mirror misalignment. In 1980 a Nd: YAG laser employing a rotating prism Q-switch was constructed (Preussler (1980)). It involves rotating one of the two cavity reflectors so that they are parallel for only a brief instant in time. Typically the prism must rotate at a speed of 20 000 r.p.m. to ensure a single pulse output. Such lasers suffer from the tendency to emit multiple pulses, they are very noisy and they require frequent maintenance because of the short lifetime of the bearings. A resonator employing conventional curved mirrors and an electro-optical Q-switch was constructed in 1980 (Robertson & Preussler (1982)). In 1981 an electro-optically Q-swi tched laser making use of a crossed Porro-prism resonator was investigated due to its relative insensitivity to misalignment of the reflectors compared with the conventional mirror resonator (Nortier (1981)). Improvements in terms of output power, beam divergence and beam quality can be achieved by making use of a so-called unstable resonator. Such a laser has been investigated and is reported on in this study. Chapter 2 provides some background into laser theory and operation while chapter 3 deals with the theory of the unstable resonator. Chapter 4 provides details of the experimental equipment and techniques used in the work and chapter 5 discusses the evaluation of the project and results obtained.

Resumo: A atividade antimicrobiana do laser Er:YAG foi avaliada sobre biofilme bacteriano constituído por Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 e 3 cepas de Fusobacterium nucleatum e sobre biofilme de microrganismos salivares. Os biofilmes foram submetidos à ação do laser a 1,2 W e 10 Hz por 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 e 60 s e fez-se a avaliação da microbiota residual em ágar sangue, em anaerobiose. O biofilme salivar se mostrou mais sensível nos primeiros tempos de irradiação. A redução microbiana em relação ao controle foi estatisticamente significativa entre todos os tempos testados. Avaliou-se também a ação do laser Er:YAG sobre 7 cepas de Fusobacterium nucleatum inoculadas sobre a superfície de corpos-de-prova (5mmX4mm) de dentes extraídos. Fez-se a aplicação do laser nos mesmos parâmetros físicos mencionados anteriormente, durante 15 s, levando à eliminação total do conteúdo séptico. O estudo avaliou também a irradiação do laser de Er:YAG durante tempos subinibitórios sobre a atividade hemolítica e susceptibilidade de 9 cepas de Fusobacterium nucleatum a amoxicilina, eritromicina, metronidazol e tetraciclina. Após a irradiação do laser, determinou-se a concentração inibitória mínima (CIM) para as drogas através do método de diluição em ágar. A ação do laser sobre a atividade hemolítica foi determinada em sangue humano. Verificou-se que o laser Er:YAG não afetou a atividade hemolítica de Fusobacterium nucleatum, que se mostrou α-hemolítica, tampouco a susceptibilidade a drogas dos isolados testados. / Abstract: Antimicrobial activity of Er:YAG laser was evaluated on a bacterial biofilm constituted by Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 and 3 strains of Fusobacterium nucleatum and on biofilm produced by salivary microorganisms. Biofilms were irradiated by Er:YAG laser, 1,2 W and 10 Hz, for 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, and 60 s and the evaluation of residual contamination was performed on blood agar, under anaerobiosis. It was verified that salivary biofilm showed to be more susceptibility to the Er:YAG laser in shorter periods of laser irradiation. Bacterial reduction was significative in all tested periods of irradiation. The activity of Er:YAG laser was also evaluated on 7 strains of Fusobacterium nucleatum inoculated on samples of human dentin (5mm X 4mm), obtained from extracted teeth. The laser was used following the same physical parameters, as previously described, for 15 s, leading to complete elimination of their septic content. The study also evaluated the effects of subinibitory irradiation of Er:YAG laser on bacterial susceptibility of 9 strains of Fusobacterium nucleatum to antimicrobial drugs (amoxicillin, erythromycin, metronidazole, tetracycline) and hemolysis. Thus, after laser irradiation, the minimal inhibitory concentration of antimicrobial drugs was determined by using an agar dilution method. The influence of laser on hemolysis was carried out on human blood. It was verified that Er:YAG laser did not produce any measurable effect on hemolytic activity and the microbial susceptibility to tested antimicrobial drugs. / Orientador: José Ricardo Kina / Coorientador: Elerson Gaetti Jardim Júnior / Mestre

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 151-163). Investigates the behaviour of the intensity noise in a multimode Nd:YAG laser. The collective modes of oscillation are excited by broadband ambient noise. Because the phase of the excitation is unknown, a cross spectral technique to measure the antiphase dynamics directly and form a picture of the intensity noise interference for two to five mode operation is developed. For three mode operation, the contributions of the longitudinal modes to collective modes is measured.

Includes bibliographical references. Electronic publication; full text available in PDF format; abstract in HTML format. Investigates the behaviour of the intensity noise in a multimode Nd:YAG laser. The collective modes of oscillation are excited by broadband ambient noise. Because the phase of the excitation is unknown, a cross spectral technique to measure the antiphase dynamics directly and form a picture of the intensity noise interference for two to five mode operation is developed. For three mode operation, the contributions of the longitudinal modes to collective modes is measured. Electronic reproduction.[Australia] :Australian Digital Theses Program,2001. ix, 163 leaves : ill., charts ; 30 cm.

Bibliography: leaves 154-156. / 156 leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / This thesis describes the construction of a low-power end pumped Nd:YAG laser and the subsequent theoretical and experimental investigation of the antiphase dynamics exhibited by the laser. The end pumped laser was modelled by extending the classical model of Tang Statz deMars to non-uniform pump along the active medium. The anomalous threshold behaviour of the laser, where modes with lower gain can supass modes with higher gain as the pump power increases, was accounted for. The antiphase dynamics were explored by modulating the pump power and measuring the transfer functions from this input to various outputs. The laser's response to various sources of noise was also studied. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, School of Chemistry and Physics, Discipline of Physics and Mathematical Physics, 2003?

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2004. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 121 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 106-107).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Physics and Mathematical Physics, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 151-163). Also available in an electronic version.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Physics and Mathematical Physics, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print form.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2009. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xiv, 170 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 159-164).