Title :
Characterization of a distortion-corrected Nd:YAG laser with a self-conjugating loop geometry
Author :
Wittler, Olaf ; Udaiyan, Darren ; Crofts, Graham J. ; Syed, Khalid S. ; Damzen, Michael J.
Author_Institution :
Opt. Inst., Tech. Univ. Berlin, Germany
fDate :
4/1/1999 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
A detailed experimental and theoretical characterization of a self-adaptive solid-state laser is presented. The system uses a saturable gain medium (Nd:YAG amplifier) as the adaptive element in an externally injected self-intersecting loop geometry. We demonstrate energy output >300 mJ, high energy reflectivity >104, low input energy threshold of ~5 μJ, and phase-conjugate properties of the system that compensate for both intracavity and extracavity phase distortions. The spatial output beam size is compared to a Gaussian mode analysis based on ABCD ray transfer matrices. The temporal, spectral, energy, and threshold characteristics are compared to one-dimensional analytical and transient numerical simulations
Keywords :
adaptive optics; compensation; laser modes; neodymium; optical phase conjugation; optical pumping; optical saturation; ray tracing; reflectivity; solid lasers; 300 mJ; 5 muJ; ABCD ray transfer matrices; Gaussian mode analysis; Nd:YAG laser amplifier; YAG:Nd; YAl5O12:Nd; adaptive element; distortion-corrected Nd:YAG laser; energy output; externally injected self-intersecting loop geometry; extracavity phase distortions; high energy reflectivity; intracavity phase distortions; low input energy threshold; ne-dimensional analytical numerical simulations; phase-conjugate properties; saturable gain medium; self-adaptive solid-state laser; self-conjugating loop geometry; spatial output beam size; threshold characteristics; transient numerical simulations; Geometrical optics; Laser noise; Laser theory; Neodymium; Optical amplifiers; Optical distortion; Optical resonators; Phase distortion; Reflectivity; Solid lasers;
Journal_Title :
Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
