Abstract

We describe the laser performance and thermal properties of side-pumped Nd:YAG rod lasers that use fiber-coupled diode lasers as pump sources. Utilizing a nearly homogeneous pump light profile, we realize an output power of more than 60 W in TEM₀₀ mode operation with optical-to-optical efficiencies of more than 25%. In multimode operation, optical slope efficiencies of more than 46% are observed.

© 1996 Optical Society of America

40-W cw, TEM₀₀-mode, diode-laser-pumped, Nd:YAG miniature-slab laser

R. J. Shine, A. J. Alfrey, and R. L. Byer
Opt. Lett. 20(5) 459-461 (1995)

300-W cw diode-laser side-pumped Nd:YAG rod laser

D. Golla, S. Knoke, W. Schöne, G. Ernst, M. Bode, A. Tünnermann, and H. Welling
Opt. Lett. 20(10) 1148-1150 (1995)

Highly efficient 60-W TEM₀₀ cw diode-end-pumped Nd:YAG laser

S. C. Tidwell, J. F. Seamans, and M. S. Bowers
Opt. Lett. 18(2) 116-118 (1993)

7.6 W of continuous-wave radiation in a TEM₀₀ mode from a laser-diode end-pumped Nd:YAG laser

Yushi Kaneda, Michio Oka, Hisashi Masuda, and Shigeo Kubota
Opt. Lett. 17(14) 1003-1005 (1992)

208-W TEM₀₀ operation of a diode-pumped Nd:YAG rod laser

Y. Hirano, Y. Koyata, S. Yamamoto, K. Kasahara, and T. Tajime
Opt. Lett. 24(10) 679-681 (1999)