Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system for repairing a damage site on a surface of an optical material. The system may have an Infrared (IR) laser which generates a laser beam having a predetermined wavelength, with a predetermined beam power, and such that the laser beam is focused to a predetermined full width (“F/W”) 1/e2 diameter spot on the damage site. The IR laser may be controlled to maintain the focused IR laser beam on the damage site for a predetermined exposure period corresponding to a predetermined acceptable level of downstream intensification. The laser beam may heat the damage site to a predetermined peak temperature which causes melting and reflowing of material at the damage site to create a mitigated site.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system for repairing a damage site on a surface of an optical material. The system may have an Infrared (IR) laser which generates a laser beam having a predetermined wavelength, with a predetermined beam power, and such that the laser beam is focused to a predetermined full width (“F/W”) 1/e2 diameter spot on the damage site. The IR laser may be controlled to maintain the focused IR laser beam on the damage site for a predetermined exposure period corresponding to a predetermined acceptable level of downstream intensification. The laser beam may heat the damage site to a predetermined peak temperature which causes melting and reflowing of material at the damage site to create a mitigated site.

Abstract: A method for repairing a damage site on a surface of an optical material is disclosed. The method may involve focusing an Infrared (IR) laser beam having a predetermined wavelength, with a predetermined beam power, to a predetermined full width (“F/W”) 1/e2 diameter spot on the damage site. The focused IR laser beam is maintained on the damage site for a predetermined exposure period corresponding to a predetermined acceptable level of downstream intensification. The focused IR laser beam heats the damage site to a predetermined peak temperature, which melts and reflows material at the damage site of the optical material to create a mitigated site.

Abstract: The invention comprises a RE-doped MA.sub.2 X.sub.4 crystalline gain medium, where M includes a divalent ion such as Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb, Eu, or Yb; A is selected from trivalent ions including Al, Ga, and In; X is one of the chalcogenide ions S, Se, and Te; and RE represents the trivalent rare earth ions. The MA.sub.2 X.sub.4 gain medium can be employed in a laser oscillator or a laser amplifier. Possible pump sources include diode lasers, as well as other laser pump sources. The laser wavelengths generated are greater than 3 microns, as becomes possible because of the low phonon frequency of this host medium. The invention may be used to seed optical devices such as optical parametric oscillators and other lasers.