Propagation parameters of the beam extracted from a diode pumped Nd:YAG ceramic slab laser with a hybrid stable–unstable resonator

• Published in: Optics and laser technology Vol. 39; no. 7; pp. 1380 - 1388
• Main Authors: Ciofini, M., Favilla, E., Lapucci, A., Sani, E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-10-2007; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Ceramic YAG lasers; Diode pumped solid state lasers; Diode-pumped lasers; Doped-insulator lasers and other solid state lasers; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Lasers; Optics; Physics; Slab lasers; Slab lasers; Diode pumped solid state lasers; Ceramic YAG lasers; Beam profiles; Ternary compounds; YAG laser; Unstable resonator; Ceramics; Electromagnetic wave propagation; Solid state lasers; Diode pumping; Cavity resonators; YAG
• ISSN: 0030-3992; 1879-2545
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optlastec.2006.10.012

We analyze the propagation properties of the beam extracted from a diode pumped ceramic Nd:YAG slab laser adopting a hybrid stable–unstable resonator. Such a resonator produces a beam characterized by an Hermite–Gauss mixture-like distribution in one transverse direction and a hard-edge diffracted distribution on the other transverse direction. The beam propagation parameters
M
x
2 and
M
y
2 are measured for different values of the diodes driving current. We obtain a beam parameter product smaller than 3
mm
mrad in both transverse directions and in the whole range of powers, up to an extraction of 220
W in a QCW regime.