Abstract

Efficient solid-state sources with high power, good beam quality and narrow-linewidth output are required for many applications. Power-scaling of diode-pumped single-frequency solid-state lasers to meet the requirements of these applications has been hindered by strong thermal effects which can degrade beam quality and efficiency, and often make the selection of a single-axial-mode difficult. A further problem is that changes in cavity length due to temperature fluctuations become more pronounced at high pump powers leading to mode-hopping. The latter problem can, in principle, be eliminated by employing frequency selective components (e.g. etalons) intracavity and by active stabilisation of the cavity length to an external reference cavity, but at considerable increase in complexity and cost, and often at the expense of a reduction in efficiency.

© 2001 EPS