Abstract

Zigzag Nd:YAG slab lasers are capable of high output power and low beam divergence. Two dimensional modelling has shown that by cooling in the zigzag direction and maintaining a uniform temperature distribution in the perpendicular direction, thermal lensing can be greatly reduced.^1,2 As laser output power is increased to the kilowatt level, three dimensional effects (end cooling, variations in pumping along slab, slab holder design) become important in determining the beam quality and hence the maximum output power. This work outlines the development of a three dimensional simulation code.

© 1994 Optical Society of America