Abstract

Diode-laser technology has led to the rapid progress in the development of highly efficient solid state lasers. In general, side-pumped geometries are used to scale the output power of diode-pumped solid-state lasers. To obtain highly efficient laser operation with high beam quality it is essential to select focusing optics with high energy-transfer efficiency and to match the lateral pump-power distribution (lateral gain profile) and the laser mode. The use of diamond-machined Cu elliptical mirrors permits energy-transfer efficiencies of >95%.¹ In our side-pumped design, an Au-coated elliptical mirror with an energy transfer efficiency of up to 98% are used. As shown in Fig. 1, six 1-cm diode bars and six elliptical cylinder mirrors are arranged symmetrically around the rod. Each diode bar is located on the primary focus line of the mirror, and its emission is focused on the secondary focus line. The lateral gain profile can be adjusted by changing Δx, the distance from the secondary focus lines of elliptical mirrors to the rod axis.

© 1995 Optical Society of America