Design of SMMW Laser Resonators with On-Axis Signal and Pump Beam Guiding in a Mirror Ring

A ring resonator design for optically pumped submillimeter wave (SMMW) lasers using the same set of four mirrors (including one focussing mirror) for pump beam and SMMW beam guiding is introduced.The optimum design is discussed on the example of a 2.523 THz methanol laser. It turns out that the focal length of the focussing mirror has to be adapted to the resonator perimeter. Eleven well suited focal length - resonator perimeter ratios, defining eleven standard resonator configurations, can be distinguished.The setup of an experimental laser with the optimized resonator and the experimental setup to measure laser performance are described, and results concerning laser output power, beam quality and efficiency are discussed.This paper is the extended version of the paper presented on the 23rd International Conference in Colchester [1] and continues a former article presented in this journal [2].     

Kerr lens effects in a folded-cavity four-mirror linear resonator

The Kerr-lens model locking of a folded-cavity four-mirror linear Ti: sapphire laser is simulated by applying the ABCD ray-tracing technique for a Gaussian beam. The intensity dependent Kerr-lens ABCD matrix of the Brewster-plate shaped active medium is derived. A split-step parabolic refractive index model is used. the astigmatism compensation condition is derived from the ABCD ray-tracing. Simulations are carried out for a symmetric resonator and an asymmetric resonator design. Hard-aperture loss mode locking and soft-aperture gain mode locking are discussed. The optimum design parameters (slit position for hard-aperture loss mode locking, pump beam focusing for soft-aperture gain mode locking, gain cavity spacing, gain medium position) for Kerr-lens mode locking are determined.     

Experimental determination of spherical resonator diffraction losses

To obtain single transversal mode oscillation of a laser oscillator a pinhole has to be inserted into the resonator. This causes diffraction losses, comparable with the internal losses of the laser system. For a pulsed Nd-YAG-laser, the total losses and the diffraction losses are determined experimentally as a function of the Fresnel number for TEM₀₀ and TEM₀₁ mode. The agreement between the experimental values and numerical data from diffraction theory is satisfying.     

Determination of the boundary losses in lasers

A breakdown of the detrimental loss factor of a laser into losses within the rod (due to scattering and inactive absorption) and boundary losses (the losses in the resonator due to divergence of the laser beam) is suggested. Formulas are derived for taking account of the boundary loss factor by introducing the effective reflection coefficient of the laser resonator mirrors. The theoretical and experimental relations for variations in the boundary losses resulting from increases in resonator length are compared. It is shown that the boundary losses represent the major portion of the total detrimental losses in a laser.     

一种适用于脉冲Nd^3＋：YAG激光器的新型横模控制谐振腔

本文报道了一种新型横模控制谐振腔——圆形空心波导谐振腔。实验表明这种新型横模控制诣振腔与腔内加小孔光阑的横模控制谐振腔相比,有基模TEM_∞输出效率明显增高和远场发散角大大减小等优点,文中对其限横模机理进行了分析和讨论。     

Analysis of a right-angle conical reflector resonator by the transfer matrix method

A resonator with a right-angle conical reflector has been proposed to produce high-power CO₂ laser beams. To analyze eigenfields of the right-angle conical reflector resonator, this paper adopts and demonstrates the transfer matrix method. In this paper, the mode-fields and corresponding losses are described as eigenvectors and eigenvalues of a transfer matrix according to the self-reproducing principle of laser field. By solving the transfer matrix for eigenvectors and eigenvalues, we obtain field distributions and losses of the dominant eigenmodes. The calculation results reveal that the right-angle conical reflector resonator could be used for a high-power CO₂ laser to achieve low-order modes. However, the beam quality is reduced due to the residual blind-hole, which is in accord with the experimental result.     

激光二极管端泵微片固体激光器的研究

本文介绍了一种用波长为809nm的激光二极管(LD)端面泵浦厚度为1mm的微片Nd:YVO4全固化固体激光器。器件结构上采用了一种独特的光学系统,该系统由分别用于LD激光束的耦合和聚焦的两部分组成。由Nd:YVO4的一个平面与一个曲率半径为21mm的球面镜组成半共焦腔,以获得高的转换效率。文中详细讨论了单横模运转时的泵浦光与激光腔模之间的匹配问题。当泵浦光功率为400mW时,获得152mW的1064nm波长的TEM00模激光输出。器件阈值功率为48.3mW,总的光-光转换效率为38%,斜效率为43%.     

InnoSlab混合腔输出光束质量的理论研究

对InnoSlab Laser用混合腔的输出光束质量问题从热透镜效应和腔镜的不对准两个方面的影响进行理论分析,并从远场光强分布、远场发散角、光腰半径、光束质量因子M²值和桶中功率曲线等几个角度进行了讨论,特别是离轴非稳腔方向上腔镜倾斜对光束质量的影响,利用M²值和PIB曲线两个参数共同评价非稳腔的光束质量,对目前并无统一标准的非稳腔光束质量评价问题提供了有意义的参考. 关键词： InnoSlab 混合腔 光束质量 桶中功率     

光泵气体THz激光器用CO2泵浦源腔内光场模式

CO2泵浦源是光泵气体太赫兹激光器的核心器件之一,其性能直接关系到太赫兹激光器的工作稳定性。CO2泵浦源一般由闪耀光栅作为全反射尾镜,构成特殊的光栅腔实现波长的选支输出。采用传输矩阵的特征向量法对光栅谐振腔的腔内光场模式进行了理论分析与数值模拟,计算了光栅腔的一系列本征模式及相应的衍射损耗。结果表明光栅腔的腔内模式特性等效于一个平凹腔,而对于大菲涅尔数的光栅腔, Littrow波长的附近支线也可能具有衍射损耗较低的低阶模,可能优先于Littrow波长的高阶模起振,导致光栅腔的波长选择性降低。     

Coupling Losses and Discrimination of Annular Waveguide Laser Resonators

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High-power dual-rod Yb:YAG laser

We describe a diode-pumped Yb:YAG laser that produces 1080 W of power cw with 27.5% optical optical efficiency and 532 W Q-switched with M(2)=2.2 and 17% optical-optical efficiency. The laser uses two composite Yb:YAG rods separated by a 90 degrees quartz rotator for bifocusing compensation. A microlensed diode array end pumps each rod, using a hollow lens duct for pump delivery. By changing resonator parameters we can adjust the fundamental mode size and the output beam quality. Using a flattened Gaussian intensity profile to calculate the mode-fill efficiency and clipping losses, we compare experimental data with modeled output power versus beam quality.     

Predicting the performance data for a fiber laser by measuring the emitted fluorescence power of the end-on pumped fiber

Abstract

A novel method is described that enables the prediction of the main laser parameters (threshold pump power, output power, slope- and extraction efficiency) without having realized the laser itself. The emitted fluorescence power of an end-on pumped fiber is absolutely measured along the fiber. Using specific material parameters of the doped glass and the waveguide attenuation, we calculate the laser properties without taking the resonator losses into account. This approach is extremely useful for fibers with special design parameters. We have used this method to characterize a fiber with a novel design, the M-profile fiber. Combining the results with the measurements on the realized laser, the impact of resonator losses (e.g., tilted fiber endfaces, effects of butt-coupled mirrors) can be inferred and improvements can be undertaken.     

500.8 nmNd∶YAG青光激光器光学薄膜的设计与制备

从双波长激光运转及和频的机理出发，对LD泵浦Nd∶YAG，LBO腔内和频500.8 nm〖JP2〗青光激光器所使用的光学薄膜进行了设计和制备.在激光反射镜的设计上，为了达到最佳的和频输出，对膜系要求进行了深入分析.采用对谐振腔一端面反射率固定不变并通过对另一腔镜基频光的透射率进行调谐的方法, 在给出合理初始结构后，利用计算机对膜厚进行了优化.并采用双离子束溅射沉积的方法，通过时间监控膜厚法成功制备出青光激光器所使用的全介质激光反射膜, 在室温下实现946 nm和1064 nm双波长连续运转，并通过Ⅰ类临界相位匹配LBO晶体腔内和频在国内首次实现500.8 nm青色激光连续输出.当泵浦注入功率为1.4 W时和频青光最大输出达20 mW.     

Coupling Losses and Discrimination of Annular Waveguide Laser Resonators

An approach of calculating the coupling losses in a coaxial (or annular) waveguide laser resonator is developed by which the computational time is considerably reduced. Computations of the coupling losses for some TE modes of an annular waveguide, as a function of mirror curvature and position, are presented in the limit of large mirror aperture. It is shown that there exist three special configurations to provide low coupling losses. The resonator properties are discussed. The calculating results are useful for design of annular waveguide laser resonators.     

超高斯光束抽运调Q固体激光器仿真模型研究

仿真计算一直是研究激光器的重要手段,而激光理论是仿真计算的基础.虽然半经典激光理论能够精确地描述激光的产生过程,但是其复杂性导致仿真需要庞大的计算资源和计算时间.为了能够更加高效地对激光器进行仿真,提出了一种调Q固体激光器的仿真模型.基于此模型,研究了影响主动调Q激光产生过程的因素.这些因素包括抽运功率、抽运光分布和模式竞争.仿真计算结果与对照实验测量数据相符合,说明了模型的有效性.     

Beam divergence and refractive power of directly coated solid state lasers

A relation between the far field divergence angle of a laser output beam and the elements of the laser resonator matrix is derived. This relation is applied to the resonator matrix of directly coated laser rods and yields an expression for the far field angle θ_m of the output beam in terms of the pump light induced refractive power D of the rod. By means of this expression D versus the average pumping power is calculated from the experimental values of θ_m for several laser rods and is found to be in good agreement with previously published values.     

Influence of pump beam size on laser diode end-pumped solid state lasers

Based on space-dependent rate equation, the lowest threshold input power for diode end-pumped solid state lasers is obtained for pump spot size w_p → 0. However, when the pump beam waist is decreased, the far-field half-angle increases due to the same beam quality, which will influence the match between the pump volume and mode volume. Most importantly, when the pump beam waist is decreased, the temperature and temperature gradient in the laser rod would be very high due to the resulting heat, which would cause material distortion, variation of refractive index, instability of laser resonator etc. We analyze the temperature distributions with different pump beam sizes and conclude that the condition w_p ≈ w₀ (the radius of the laser beam at the laser rod) is often taken as a rough guide to the optimum case.     

大口径薄片激光器失调输出特性

对大口径的薄片激光器的失调输出特性进行了理论和实验研究,V-型腔由平面输出耦合镜和凹面反射镜及孔径光阑组成。基于矩阵光学和失调衍射积分方程得到了激光器的功率失调曲线。实验测量了在200 Hz泵浦频率下加入不同孔径光阑后谐振腔失调对输出功率的影响和谐振腔失调对光束质量的影响,以及在300 Hz泵浦频率下输出功率分别与平面输出耦合镜和凹面反射镜失调的关系。实验结果表明:失调输出功率和失调角度成二次函数关系,失调容限和腔镜口径成正比,光束质量因子随失调角度的增大而变小。     

Predicting the performance data for a fiber laser by measuring the emitted fluorescence power of the end-on pumped fiber

A novel method is described that enables the prediction of the main laser parameters (threshold pump power, output power, slope- and extraction efficiency) without having realized the laser itself. The emitted fluorescence power of an end-on pumped fiber is absolutely measured along the fiber. Using specific material parameters of the doped glass and the waveguide attenuation, we calculate the laser properties without taking the resonator losses into account. This approach is extremely useful for fibers with special design parameters. We have used this method to characterize a fiber with a novel design, the M-profile fiber. Combining the results with the measurements on the realized laser, the impact of resonator losses (e.g., tilted fiber endfaces, effects of butt-coupled mirrors) can be inferred and improvements can be undertaken.     

Influence of the retardation of the multiplexing element in a dual channel Q-switched laser

We present an experimental and numerical analysis, how deviations of the multiplexer-retardation influence the output power of a time-multiplexed dual channel laser. The laser has two different channels, each one with its own gain medium. The channels are time-multiplexed by a single crystal photo-elastic modulator. It enables to double the repetition rate and output power of the laser. However, as multiplexing is based on polarization-switching, the retardation of the modulator should be kept within certain limits. By experimental measurement and theoretical analysis, we determine the operational window within which the retardation should be kept to avoid additional losses into the resonator. The analysis was done for two configurations of the laser setup, namely with and without a quarter-wave plate.