Open AccessHigh power Er:YAG laser with radially-polarized Laguerre-Gaussian (LG_01) mode output
Author(s) -
J.W. Kim,
Jacob I. Mackenzie,
J. R. Hayes,
W.A. Clarkson
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.19.014526
Subject(s) - optics , laser , m squared , laser beam quality , materials science , laser power scaling , fiber laser , beam (structure) , beam parameter product , gaussian beam , laser pumping , physics , laser beams
A simple method for conditioning the pump beam in an end-pumped solid-state laser to allow direct excitation of the first order Laguerre-Gaussian doughnut (LG01) mode is reported. This approach has been applied to a hybrid (fiber-laser-pumped) Er:YAG laser yielding 13.1 W of continuous-wave output at 1645 nm in a radially-polarized LG01 doughnut beam with beam propagation factor (M(2)) < 2.4 for 34 W of incident pump power at 1532 nm. The corresponding slope efficiency with respect to incident pump power was 48%. The prospects of further power scaling and improved laser performance are discussed.