Abstract

For optical pumping of Nd:YAG lasers with diode lasers the collinear end pump geometry has become the scheme of choice. Conditions for overlap and its influence on the control of transverse modes are the subject of this paper. In addition to the requirement of matching the size of the pump beam to the diameter of the lasing mode (usually the TEM₀₀ mode) one must also try to achieve a small mode diameter to obtain high enough intensities and thus reach lasing threshold. While this is fairly straightforward for single stripe diode lasers, the task becomes quite different for multiple stripe diode laser arrays which have a higher total power but no higher brightness. Focusing to a tight spot size will also result in a very short focal range and a highly divergent pump beam, which will become larger than the TEM₀₀ mode size before it can be fully absorbed.

© 1986 Optical Society of America