Abstract

The advantage of slab lasers with zig-zag path over to rod lasers is the absence of thermal lensing and thermally induced birefringence, This facilitates resonator design, because the resonator configuration does not change when the laser crystal is pumped and the temperature profile develops. A stable resonator for a laser with thermal lensing can be designed for optimum beam quality at the maximum pumping power. The maximum achievable beam quality depends on the strength of the aberrations and the width or diameter a of the active medium.

© 1995 Optical Society of America