Title :
Efficient, scalable, internally folded Nd:YAG laser end-pumped by laser diodes
Author :
Scheps, Richard ; Myers, Joseph F.
Author_Institution :
US Naval Command, Control & Ocean Surveillance Center, San Diego, CA, USA
fDate :
6/1/1993 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
A scalable diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser is described in which the gain element resembles a penta-prism. This design allows longitudinal pumping along five separate axes. Using five high-power single stripe laser diodes, 4.16 W of absorbed power produced 2.3 W CW at 1.06 μm. The slope efficiency was 56%, the output was plane polarized, and the laser operated in the TEM00 mode. The threshold power, was 48 mW. No evidence of thermal saturation was observed up to the maximum pump power. With an intracavity KTP crystal, 431 mW of CW amplitude-stable output at 532 nm was generated. Repetitive Q-switched operation is also reported
Keywords :
Q-switching; laser cavity resonators; laser modes; neodymium; optical pumping; solid lasers; 1.06 micron; 2.3 W; 341 mW; 4.16 W; 48 mW; 532 nm; 56 percent; CW amplitude-stable output; CW lasing; IR; KTP; KTiOPO4; Nd:YAG laser; Q-switched operation; TEM00 mode; YAG:Nd; YAl5O12:Nd; absorbed power; end-pumped; gain element; high-power single stripe laser diodes; internally folded; intracavity KTP crystal; longitudinal pumping; maximum pump power; optical prisms; penta-prism; plane polarized; slope efficiency; threshold power; Diode lasers; Laser excitation; Laser modes; Mirrors; Neodymium; Optical reflection; Optical resonators; Power generation; Power lasers; Pump lasers;
Journal_Title :
Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
