Dynamics of the optical response of Nd:YAG to ionizing radiation: testing for radiation hardness using UV laser radiation

The optical response of single-crystal Nd:YAG and Cr 3+ :YAG to ionizing radiation has been previously studied using intense pulses of gamma-rays at the HERMES III facility at Sandia National Laboratory, where samples' transmission at 1064 nm was observed during exposure to gamma radiation. A further study of similar samples when exposed to 10-ns UV laser pulses reveals nearly identical dynamics, with both tests producing similar transient and permanent response in the medium. This strongly suggests that the material response to UV radiation can be used to gauge its gamma-radiation hardness, therefore yielding a material testing technique that is much simpler and less costly than gamma-radiation tests.