Abstract

The laser beam propagation in high power Nd:YAG lasers is strongly distorted by the laser rod which not only acts as an aberrated lens but also mixes the two transverse field components by stress induced birefringence (fig 1). For the simulation of laser beam propagation in diode-pumped high power Nd:YAG lasers we have set up a model which includes all physical effects relevant in the high power region including transversal field component mixing. Beam propagation is computed by solving the 2D Fresnel integral, beam amplification is modeled using gain sheets and thermal lensing and stress induced birefringence is taken into account by a Jones matrix sheet. The 2D Jones matrix field is calculated using the temperature T and stress distribution o inside the laser rod and the relation between T, σ and the laser rod indikatrix.

© 1998 IEEE