Abstract

A diode-laser side-pumped Nd:YAG laser that uses a simple, multipass pumping geometry has been investigated. This geometry allows efficient pumping of small-diameter laser rods, reduced dependence on pump wavelength, and efficient TEM₀₀-mode operation. A 5.8-mJ output energy in a near TEM₀₀ mode has been obtained for 21.5-mJ pump energy, which corresponds to an optical efficiency of 27%. Corresponding results from numerical simulations show similar good mode quality and an optical efficiency of 40%.

© 1992 Optical Society of America

Efficient TEM₀₀-mode operation of a laser-diode side-pumped Nd:YAG laser

D. Welford, D. M. Rines, and B. J. Dinerman
Opt. Lett. 16(23) 1850-1852 (1991)

Efficient TEM₀₀-mode operation of a Nd:YAG laser end pumped by a three-bar high-power diode-laser array

Horacio R. Verdún and Ti Chuang
Opt. Lett. 17(14) 1000-1002 (1992)

Highly efficient TEM₀₀ operation of transversely diode-pumped Nd:YAG lasers

Larry R. Marshall, A. Kaz, and R. L. Burnham
Opt. Lett. 17(3) 186-188 (1992)

7.6 W of continuous-wave radiation in a TEM₀₀ mode from a laser-diode end-pumped Nd:YAG laser

Yushi Kaneda, Michio Oka, Hisashi Masuda, and Shigeo Kubota
Opt. Lett. 17(14) 1003-1005 (1992)

Compact high-efficiency 100-W-level diode-side-pumped Nd:YAG laser with linearly polarized TEM₀₀ mode output

Yi-Ting Xu, Jia-Lin Xu, Ya-Ding Guo, Feng-Tu Yang, Yan-Zhong Chen, Jian Xu, Shi-Yong Xie, Yong Bo, Qin-Jun Peng, Dafu Cui, and Zu-Yan Xu
Appl. Opt. 49(24) 4576-4580 (2010)