초록 ▼

A laser shock peening apparatus includes a cavity dumping laser oscillator including in optical serial alignment a first mirror, a Pockels cell, a polarizer, a laser rod, and a second mirror defining a cavity having an optical length between the mirrors. The laser rod is optically pumped to generate

A laser shock peening apparatus includes a cavity dumping laser oscillator including in optical serial alignment a first mirror, a Pockels cell, a polarizer, a laser rod, and a second mirror defining a cavity having an optical length between the mirrors. The laser rod is optically pumped to generate a laser beam in the cavity, and the Pockels cell has selective wave retardation to allow the beam to oscillate between the mirrors and increase energy therein, followed in turn by dumping the beam into a laser amplifier. The laser amplifier directs the amplified pulse at a target for laser shock peening thereof. The cavity length is selected to develop a substantially square-wave laser pulse for temporally shaping the resulting pressure pulse at the target.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] A method for laser shock peening a target for developing residual compressive stress at a surface thereof, the method comprising the steps of:generating a laser beam pulse from a cavity dumping oscillator having a sharp leading edge by circulating a laser beam in said oscillator to

[ We claim:] [1.] A method for laser shock peening a target for developing residual compressive stress at a surface thereof, the method comprising the steps of:generating a laser beam pulse from a cavity dumping oscillator having a sharp leading edge by circulating a laser beam in said oscillator to pump energy in the laser beam to a peak, and switching a Pockels cell to change a degree of wave retardation of the laser beam to dump the laser beam out of the oscillator as the laser beam pulse;selecting a switching time of the Pockels cell to control the leading edge of the laser beam pulse; anddirecting said laser beam pulse against said target to develop a pressure pulse at the target for laser shock peening of the target, wherein the laser beam pulse is directed against the target without reducing a duration of the leading edge of the laser beam pulse.