Title :
Performance of diode-pumped Nd:YAG and Nd:YLF lasers in a tightly folded resonator configuration
Author :
Baer, Thomas M. ; Head, David F. ; Gooding, Phillip ; Kintz, Gregory J. ; Hutchison, Sheldon
Author_Institution :
Spectra-Phys. Laser Diode Syst., Mountain View, CA, USA
fDate :
4/1/1992 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
The performance of diode bar pumped Nd:YAG and Nd:YLF lasers in a novel tightly folded resonator configuration is described. For Nd:YLF at a pump level of 9.2 W a TEM00 output power of 3.1 W with a slope efficiency of 47% was observed. In Q-switched operation a pulse energy of 0.7 mJ and a pulsewidth of 5 ns were obtained. The same resonator design configured to operate as an optical amplifier provides small-signal gain of 28 dB and average output powers of greater than 1 W
Keywords :
Q-switching; laser cavity resonators; lithium compounds; neodymium; optical pumping; solid lasers; 0.7 mJ; 1 W; 28 dB; 3.1 W; 47 percent; 5 ns; 9.2 W; LiYF4:Nd; Nd:YAG solid lasers; Nd:YLF lasers; Q-switched operation; TEM00 output power; YAG:Nd; YAl5O12:Nd; average output powers; diode bar pumped; diode-pumped; laser modes; optical amplifier; pulse energy; pump level; resonator design; small-signal gain; tightly folded resonator configuration; Diodes; Laser excitation; Optical design; Optical pulses; Optical resonators; Power amplifiers; Power generation; Pulse amplifiers; Pump lasers; Space vector pulse width modulation;
Journal_Title :
Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
