Regular Equipment Grant to purchase a flash-lamp-pumped Nd:YAG laser and light energy meter that will be dedicated to support research in engineering. The laser and energy meter will form the core of a research test facility for studying novel laser resonators containing diffractive optics. Preliminary experimental tests have shown that the unique properties of diffractive resonators are well suited to a variety of laser systems including solid-state and semiconductor lasers. The laser and energy meter described in this proposal will enable accurate measurements of a variety of resonator properties including small differences in lasing thresholds, comparisons of output energy, fundamental and higher-order mode shape.
