Abstract

A Nd:YAG rod has been end-pumped with a single laser diode bar that delivers up to 10 W of 810-nm cw power. Coupling of the 1-cm long diode emitter to the end of the Nd:YAG rod is achieved with a combination of conventional optics (two lenses) and a twenty-element lens array. The combination of these three elements allows a pump cross-section of <0.5 mm² to be obtained at the Nd:YAG rod end. To date, the laser has delivered near TEM₀₀ beam quality with 3.3 W of output power at 1.064 µm, 1.0 W at 1.34 µm and up to 0.8 W at 0.532 pm using intracavity frequency doubling.

© 1991 Optical Society of America