Visualization techniques for assessing inhomogeneities and stress in Ti:sapphire crystals

This study presents a comprehensive optical analysis of titanium-doped sapphire (Ti:Sa) crystals, introducing two innovative measurement techniques to enhance the characterization of this material. The first method enables highly precise transmission measurements, facilitating the visualization of optical doping patterns across samples and providing accurate figure of merit (FoM) evaluations. This technique covers an area of 25 × 100 mm, enabling the creation of detailed optical property maps. The second method is specifically designed to identify stress and refractive index inhomogeneities using circular polarization, leveraging the birefringent properties of Ti:Sa material. Experimental validation was performed on three Ti:Sa samples with distinct defects, and their optical and structural properties were analyzed and compared. A central optical pattern, previously unreported, was observed in all samples. This pattern is hypothesized to originate from core formation during crystal growth. These findings provide new insights into the material's internal structure and hold significant implications for its optimization in optical applications.