Abstract

Strong thermo-optical aberrations in flash–lamp-pumped Nd:Cr:GSGG rods were corrected to yield TEM₀₀ output at twice the efficiency of Nd:YAG. A hemispherical resonator operating at the limit of stability was employed. As much as 3 W of average power in a Gaussian beam (M ² ≈ 1) was generated. Unique features were zero warm-up time and the ability to vary the repetition rate without varying energy, near- and far-field profiles, or polarization purity. Thermal focusing and astigmatism were corrected with a microprocessor-controlled adaptive-optics backmirror composed of discrete elements (variable-radius mirror). A reentrant resonator coupled polarizer losses back into the laser rod and corrected depolarization.

© 1998 Optical Society of America

Comparison of adaptive optics and phase-conjugate mirrors for correction of aberrations in double-pass amplifiers

Steven Jackel, Inon Moshe, and Raphy Lavi
Appl. Opt. 42(6) 983-989 (2003)

Correction of birefringence and thermal lensing in nonreciprocal resonators by use of a dynamic imaging mirror

Inon Moshe and Steven Jackel
Appl. Opt. 39(24) 4313-4319 (2000)

Dynamic correction of thermal focusing in Nd:YAG confocal unstable resonators by use of a variable radius mirror

Inon Moshe, Steven Jackel, and Raphael Lallouz
Appl. Opt. 37(30) 7044-7048 (1998)

Measurements of losses and lasing efficiency in GSGG:Cr, Nd and YAG:Nd laser rods

John A. Caird, M. D. Shinn, T. A. Kirchoff, L. K. Smith, and R. E. Wilder
Appl. Opt. 25(23) 4294-4305 (1986)

Mode-volume and pump-power limitations in injection-locked TEM₀₀ Nd:YAG rod lasers

Matthew P. Murdough and Craig A. Denman
Appl. Opt. 35(30) 5925-5936 (1996)