Abstract
Laser diode pumped solid-state lasers with high TEM00-mode conversion efficiencies have been demonstrated using both end-pumped1 and side-pumped2 geometries. However, side-pumped systems obtain their TEM00-mode quality through the use of pumping geometries that require tens of laser diode bars. Given the high cost of quasi-cw laser diodes, side-pumped lasers operating at the tens of millijoule level are cost effective only when pumped by as few laser diode bars as possible. Single-array (up to five bars) pump sources in side-pumped geometries3-5 have been unable to demonstrate efficient TEM00-mode operation. We describe a self-imaging side-pumped geometry with efficient TEM00-mode conversion using a single, five-bar, quasi-cw laser diode array as the pump source. We have demonstrated 23% slope efficiency and 11.8 mJ energy at 1064 nm for 64 mJ cf pump energy at 808 nm. This approach should allow efficient generation of TEM00-mode quality beams at energies up to several tens of millijoules, beyond which radially pumped rod2 geometries become more effective.
© 1991 Optical Society of America
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