B.A. Thompson

Ultrahigh repetition rate Q-switched 101 W TEM/sub 00/ Nd:GdVO/sub 4/ laser system

In this paper, we have demonstrated operation of ultrahigh repetition rate, high power diode-pumped bounce geometry Q-switched Nd:GdVO/sub 4/ laser system. Single mode Q-switched oscillator produces 40 W of /spl sim/20 ns pulses from 100-600 kHz and 101 W average power with high beam quality is obtained in a master-oscillator power amplifier configuration.

Diode-pumped bounce geometry Nd: GdVO 4 master oscillator power amplifier with high beam quality

A Nd: GdVO4oscillator amplifier in bounce amplifier configuration with 104W CW output power in TEM00 mode is demonstrated. Acousto-optically Q-switched system produces 101W of ~ 20ns pulses at 400kHz.

Self-adaptive aberration correction in a 33 W laser oscillator

In this paper we present a self-adaptive laser oscillator with higher output powers, and also show the correction of further intracavity aberrations by the inclusion of a further amplifier to give output powers up to 33 W from a total of 103 W of diode pumping. The adaptive nature of the cavity successfully corrects for severe thermal lensing within the gain medium, and the use of image-relay optics enables the system to run over a wide range of diode pump powers.

Unidirectional ring laser using novel parasitic directionality control

In this paper we have shown a simple technique for creating unidirectional ring lasers without the inclusion of an intracavity isolator. Experimentally and numerically, this device gives high output powers, up to 14 W from 30 W of diode pumping, in a TEM/sub 00/ and single longitudinal mode of operation. The system was numerically modelled, with incorporation of multiple frequencies, polarisations and directions of oscillation.

42.5 W output from a compact Nd:YVO/sub 4/ bounce oscillator power amplifier laser

In recent years, diode-end-pumped solid-state lasers have become important sources of 1 /spl mu/m radiation, offering high efficiency output with excellent beam quality. In this paper, we report operation of the grazing-incidence bounce geometry oscillator-amplifier Nd:YVO/sub 4/ laser incorporating intracavity cylindrical optics to maximise the mode-matching between pump and laser radiation. It is concluded that it has a very high efficiency output from a diode-side-pumped Nd:YVO/sub 4/ bounce laser. A maximum optical conversion efficiency of >68% is obtained with 26.1W of multimode output power and 23.1 W of single spatial mode output power. Finally, in an oscillator-amplifier configuration 42.5 W of multimode output with 60% conversion efficiency is achieved.

Efficient adaptive self-starting Nd:YVO/sub 4/ gain grating laser oscillator

Summary from only given. Self adaptive laser resonators based on laser induced gain gratings have successfully demonstrated correction of thermally induced aberrations in solid-state lasers. This technique has recently been shown to produce distortion corrected beams in a diode pumped, injected seeded system in Nd:YVO/sub 4/. This paper describes the first characterization of a fully self-starting, high power Nd:YVO/sub 4/ self adaptive laser without the requirement of an external seed source.