Nd Glass Laser Rods, Failed Fusion(?) Laser Rods and Segments

These are partial and complete neodymium-doped glass laser rods in a variety of different shapes and sizes.

The Big One is a segment of a 1m long laser rod with one polished, finished end and one broken end.  It has flame polished edges with a couple tiny chips.

The peach rod came to us labeled Nd:YAG but it is definitely glass.  It has one polished end with a couple chips cut at a slight angle, presumably to avoid back reflections and one broken end.  It has an unusual peach-orange color, suggesting maybe codoping with erbium or cerium(?).

The rod blank is an unpolished section which has two flat ends with some chipping and a matte finish all around.  It likely didn't quite make it through QC before final shaping, likely due to a single defect visible within it.  It has an amazing color change and clarity.  If this one doesn't sell I might cut a d20 from it.

These laser rods were meant for use in solid state lasers.  While YAG is the favored host for neodymium ions in lasers, it is challenging to grow these crystals in very large sizes.  The largest rod segment started out as a rod a meter long before FedEx did their thing to it.  Growth and processing is much easier, and rods this size can be used in things like nuclear fusion reactors, which is almost certainly what the large rod was meant for.  Even broken it is an incredible gem of science!  It shows a very strong color change from blue-purple to pink under different LEDs and pure blue under fluorescent illumination.

We don't usually sell any kind of glass, but these glass laser rods are an exception. They are just too cool!