Compact solid state laser to generate 5 mJ at 532-nm

Abstract

A compact and simple laser has been developed to generate 5 mJ of energy and < 7ns pulses at 532 nm. A pump cavity has been uniquely designed to directly couple diode light to the laser crystal, thereby eliminating the need for mounting the diodes on sub-mounts and using a fast-axis collimating lens. An Nd:YAG crystal is side pumped by diode bars and the laser components are designed in order to extract the largest fundamental mode for better beam quality. The laser is passively q-switched by a Cr:YAG crystal. A type II KTP crystal is used to generate 532-nm wavelength.