Abstract

Diode-pumped solid-state lasers operating at high cw power levels are attractive sources for various applications in materials processing and fundamental research. Commonly, bare diode laser arrays are used as pump sources in side-pumped systems which fulfill certain requirements in terms of reliability and efficiency.^1,2 However, the laser head design of these systems is sophisticated. Diode lasers, focusing optics, electrical connectors, and coolants for the diode lasers have to be placed in the laser head. Further, due to the large-sized dimensions of the linear diode laser arrays, power scaling by increasing the pump power per rod length is difficult to realize. These complications can be avoided using fiber-coupled diode lasers. Only a bundle of optical fibers is attached to the laser head. This allows a nearly free adjustment of the pump light distribution inside the Nd:YAG rod and slab lasers and additionally, linear pump power densities of several 100 W per cm.

© 1996 Optical Society of America