Thermal aspects of high-average-power electrooptic switches

The average power of electrooptic switches is limited by thermal effects arising from linear optical absorption of the laser pulse. Under some circumstances, even a small optical absorption can cause the switch to be the average-power-limiting component of the laser system. These thermal effects can be managed by configuring the switch as a cooled thin plate. The thermal properties of thin plate switches are fully analyzed for general switch configurations, and the major average-power-limiting effects are quantified. The results are applied to KD*P and LiNbO3switches. Both of these materials are found to be relatively poor average power switch materials. Electrooptic switches for future high-average-power applications will be configured in a thermally efficient manner, will probably require high excitation voltages, and will utilize new, mechanically strong materials.