Abstract

Microchip lasers are the most compact (1 mm³) and the simplest diode-pumped solid-state lasers^1,2 where the cavity mirrors are directly deposited on the polished surfaces of a thin (<1 mm) active laser material. They can be fabricated at very low cost, using collective fabrication processes such as used in microelectronics. In Q-switched operation, the small cavity length leads to very short (<1 ns) and high peak power^3,4 (several kW) pulses.

© 1996 Optical Society of America