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.     

激光二极管端面泵浦Yb:YAG圆棒热效应研究

基于激光二极管端面泵浦Yb∶YAG棒工作特点的分析,提出了端面绝热、周边恒温的激光晶体热分析模型,采用了一种新的热传导方程求解方法,得到了超高斯光束端面泵浦Yb∶YAG棒温度场的一般解析表达式。同时分析了不同阶次、不同光斑半径、不同功率超高斯光束以及晶体参数改变时对于Yb∶YAG棒温度场分布的影响。研究结果表明,若准直聚焦到Yb∶YAG棒泵浦面42.5W的光束具有4阶超高斯强度分布时,掺Yb3+质量分数为10.0at.%、长度为2.5mm、半径为2mm的Yb∶YAG棒的泵浦面获得74.20℃的最高温升。新的热传导方程求解方法在研究激光棒温度场分布方面具有计算量小、精度高等特点。研究结果对减小激光晶体的热效应,提高全固态Yb∶YAG激光器性能提供了理论依据。     

环形激光二极管抽运棒状激光器中瞬态温度和热应力分析

直接从激光二极管发光强度的角分布出发,采用光线追迹方法获得激光棒内的热沉积分布,在此基础上采用热传导模型和热力模型,比较了不同抽运功率、不同棒半径下达到稳态温度分布的时间,并且对稳态和瞬态热应力进行了详细模拟计算。结果表明,采用环形激光二极管阵列侧面抽运的棒状激光器中的热效应问题十分严重,不同的抽运结构参量下,温度分布不同;达到稳态所需时间随棒半径增大而增加,而不受抽运功率的影响;抽运功率越大,棒内温差增大,热应力也越大;热破坏主要集中于激光棒中心区域和表面区域。     

Diffraction losses of Nd:YAG and Yb:YAG laser crystals

Based on space-dependent rate equations, the lowest threshold input power for a diode end-pumped solid-state laser is obtained for the pump spot size w_p→0. However, as the pump beam waist is decreased, the thermally induced effects in the laser rod would be very high. Diffraction losses caused by radial and tangential variations of refractive index have been analyzed and compared for the Nd : YAG and the Yb : YAG at room temperature (300 K) and liquid-nitrogen temperature (77 K).     

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

208-W average-power TEM(00) -mode operation from a diode-pumped Nd:YAG rod laser was demonstrated. The side-pumping method of generating a high-gain aberration-free rod, the bifocusing-compensation technique with two identically pumped rods, and a suitable choice of beam spot size were employed in the design of this laser. At the maximum pump power of 1.1 kW the fundamental transverse-mode operation (M(2)<1.1) was characterized by 7.6% electrical efficiency. The extraction efficiency was almost 60% of full multimode operation. Stable operation was obtained within a pump-power range of 15% of the maximum pump power.     

A 658-W VCSEL-pumped rod laser module with 52.6% optical efficiency

A high-efficiency and high-power vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) side-pumped rod Nd:YAG laser with temperature adaptability are demonstrated. The VCSEL side-pumped laser module is designed and optimized. Five VCSEL arrays are symmetrically located around the laser rod and a large size diffused reflection chamber is designed to ensure a uniform pump distribution. Furthermore, the absorbed pump power distribution of the rod is simulated to verify the uniformity of the pump absorption. Finally, a proof-of-principle experiment is performed in short linear cavity laser with single laser module. A continuous-wave output power of 658 W at 1064 nm is obtained, the corresponding optical-to-optical efficiency is 52.6%, and the power variations are ±0.7% over 400 s and ±3.1% over the temperature range from 16 ℃ to 26 ℃. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest output power and the highest optical-to-optical efficiency ever reported for VCSEL pumped solid-state lasers. By inserting a telescopic module into the cavity and optimizing the TEM₀₀ mode volume, the average beam quality is measured to be M²=1.34 under an output power of 102 W. The experimental results reveal that such a high power rod laser module with temperature stability is appropriate or field applications.     

线阵激光二极管侧面抽运Nd∶YAG激光器特性研究

依据四能级系统速率方程 ,推导出了多横模振荡固体激光器输出与输入参量的关系。对二极管抽运固体激光器中线阵激光二极管三向对称侧面抽运结构 ,计算了抽运光强分布 ,并就激光器的阈值抽运功率、近阈值条件下的斜率效率、输出功率和光束质量等与抽运参量的关系 ,进行了数值计算。由计算结果看出 ,线阵激光二极管侧面抽运Nd∶YAG激光器中晶体半径和抽运光束腰半径是影响输出激光功率和光束质量的主要因素 ,并通过在谐振腔中加小孔选模 ,使光束质量得到明显改善。选择了一组三向侧面抽运结构参量进行了实验验证 ,实验结果与理论计算一致。     

Numerical simulation of filler metal droplets spreading in laser brazing

A finite element model was constructed using a commercial software Fidap to analyze the Cu-base filler metal droplet spreading process in laser brazing, in which the temperature distribution, droplet geometry,and fluid flow velocity were calculated. Marangoni and buoyancy convection and gravity force were considered, and the effects of laser power and spot size on the spreading process were evaluated. Special attention was focused on the free surface of the droplet, which determines the profile of the brazing spot.The simulated results indicate that surface tension is the dominant flow driving force and laser spot size determines the droplet spreading domain.     

强激光对燃烧室壳体的热-力毁伤研究

基于ANSYS有限元软件, 按有无内压作用, 分别对激光辐照下燃烧室壳体的温度场、热应力、应变与损伤进行了计算与分析.分析表明, 壳体的温度场分布与光束的功率分布一致, 光斑中心温度最高.壳体中应力最大值不在光斑中心, 而是位于光斑边缘处, 在壳体吸收的激光功率密度超过1 000 W/cm²时, 壳体中应力大于材料的强度极限, 壳体均会发生软化.在存在内部燃气压力的情况下, 壳体应力会产生局部集中, 沿壳体环向表面通过光斑中心中轴线区域很有可能裂口;相比较无内压的壳体, 存在内压的壳体中的应力和产生的形变均大于无内压时的壳体.因此, 为达到相同的毁伤效果, 在存在内压的情况下, 可以适当的降低激光的辐照强度.     

强激光对燃烧室壳体的热-力毁伤研究

基于ANSYS有限元软件,按有无内压作用,分别对激光辐照下燃烧室壳体的温度场、热应力、应变与损伤进行了计算与分析.分析表明,壳体的温度场分布与光束的功率分布一致,光斑中心温度最高.壳体中应力最大值不在光斑中心,而是位于光斑边缘处,在壳体吸收的激光功率密度超过1 000W/cm2时,壳体中应力大于材料的强度极限,壳体均会发生软化.在存在内部燃气压力的情况下,壳体应力会产生局部集中,沿壳体环向表面通过光斑中心中轴线区域很有可能裂口;相比较无内压的壳体,存在内压的壳体中的应力和产生的形变均大于无内压时的壳体.因此,为达到相同的毁伤效果,在存在内压的情况下,可以适当的降低激光的辐照强度.     

High power CW diode-side-pumped Nd:YAG rod laser

We report on the characterization of a diode-side-pumped Nd:YAG rod laser operating at high CW output power. A four-fold pump configuration is designed and the pump light is directly coupled into the Nd:YAG rod without the help of any cylindrical lenses. The distribution of pump light in the Nd:YAG rod has been calculated by using ray tracing program. The thermal lens effect of the Nd:YAG rod has been experimentally measured. A maximum output power of 800 W at 1064 nm in multimode operation is obtained for a pump power of 2400 W with 33% optical-optical efficiency. At the same time, the maximum beam parameter product of 25 mm·mrad is achieved.     

Influences of pump beam distribution on thermal lensing spherical aberration in an LD end-pumped Nd:YAG laser

A numerical investigation is made on the thermal lensing and spherical aberration effect in an LD end-pumped Nd:YAG laser. Based on the finite element method (FEM), the laser rod temperature distribution is calculated and the focal length of the thermal lens is deduced, the influences of pump beam on the thermal lensing spherical aberration are mainly studied. The results show the thermal lens which focal length varied with the radial coordinate r is not an ideal lens. Given the heat dissipation boundary conditions, the radial dependent focal length will be shortened when the pump power raised or the waist radius of the pump beam reduced, meanwhile the radial differences of the focal length will decrease when the pump power increased. For a Super-Gaussian profile pump beam, the higher the exponent number, the more similar to flat top the pump beam is, and the less the radial differences of the focal length are.     

高功率环形激光二极管阵列重复脉冲抽运激光器中棒的瞬态温度分布

 采用光线追迹方法和有限元方法，对高功率环形激光二极管阵列（LDA）重复脉冲抽运Nd:YAG激光器中，棒的瞬态温度分布进行了详细的计算模拟，分析比较了不同抽运阶段、抽运频率及占空比的情况下棒内的瞬态温度分布。结果表明：高功率环形LDA重复脉冲抽运时，棒中心处温度随时间变化成锯齿形分布，棒内温度随抽运频率和占空比的增大而增大，最后温度随时间成周期性变化。     

Thermal distribution calculation in diode pumped Nd:YAG laser rod by boundary element method

Boundary element method is used to calculate the temperature distribution by solving the heat transfer equation in a laser rod. Propagation of the pumping beam in the rod, that is assumed to be pumped longitudinally, results in a temperature gradient. Such a gradient produces radial variation of the refractive index and the rod behaves similar to a positive lens. Depending on the size of the pumping beam waist and absorption coefficient of the rod, a hot spot may form inside the rod.     

Calculated thermal distribution of non-uniform side-pumped laser rod by BEM and detection and simulation of phase shift in emerging ray

In this study, a steady-state heat transfer equation in a side-pumped Nd:YAG laser crystal is solved numerically using the Boundary Element Method (BEM). The temperature distribution and its gradient are calculated at arbitrary points inside the rod. Subsequently, by solving the ray equation and calculating the optical path integral along the length of the rod, the phase shift of the passing rays is obtained. Furthermore, this thermal phase shift is detected in practice by an interferometric experiment. Excellent agreement is observed between the calculated and experimental results.     

脉冲激光二极管侧面抽运Nd∶YAG激光器晶体时变热效应

采用数值计算的方法,对脉冲激光二极管三向侧面抽运固体激光器中,激光晶体的温度场时变分布进行了计算. 分析了三向侧面抽运情况下晶体内光强分布,在此基础上,采用有限元法,以脉冲激光二极管侧面抽运Nd∶YAG激光器为例,对单脉冲过程中晶体温度分布及其影响因素进行分析. 结果表明,晶体升温过程受到抽运条件以及散热条件的影响,但是主要受到抽运条件即抽运光强度和光束半径的影响,降温过程受到晶体热物性参数和晶体半径以及散热条件的影响. 当晶体温度达到周期性分布后,由于晶体径向温度梯度的周期性变化,引起通过晶体的平面光波的中心和边缘光线相对光程差也随时间作周期性变化. 关键词： 激光二极管侧面抽运固体激光器 热效应 有限元法 时变过程     

强激光辐照下预载柱壳热屈曲失效的数值分析

 采用有限元方法（ANSYS7.0）和简易的热力耦合本构关系,较系统地数值研究了预载柱壳受激光辐照时的热力响应和热屈曲失效行为,分析了几种壳体在不同预载条件下（轴压或内压）的屈曲模态和屈曲特征值,给出了屈曲模态和热屈曲失效与激光强度、辐照时间、预载条件和壳体几何尺度及形状间的定量或定性关系。计算结果表明：（1）屈曲失效行为主要集中在激光辐照区内且以径向屈曲为主。（2）在一定范围内,屈曲特征值与光斑中心点温度近似有线性关系。（3）激光辐照区内高温引起的材料软化和预载径向变形的耦合作用是柱壳发生热屈曲失效的根本原因,有效提高结构刚度,可使屈曲特征值提高。（4）壳体形状的改变对内压柱壳有更为明显的影响,其中圆柱形壳体屈曲特征值最大,因此具有较高的安全性。     

Pump power dependence of the spatial gating properties of femtosecond optical Kerr effect measurements

The pump power dependence of the spatial gating properties of femtosecond optical Kerr gate (OKG) was investigated using coaxial two-color optical Kerr measurements in CS₂. As the pump power increased, the spatial pattern of the optical Kerr signals changed from a Gaussian spot to a ring form, and then a spot surrounded by a concentric ring, successively. By comparing the experimental data with the calculation results and measuring the pump power dependence of the OKG signal intensity, we demonstrated that the spatial variation of OKG transmittance could be attributed to the non-uniform spatially distributed phase change of the probe beam, due to the transient birefringence effect induced by pump beam with transverse mode of a Gaussian distribution.     

Cassegrain激光发射系统的光路设计

为了提高激光探测系统激光的发射功率,在出射激光为基模的高斯光束的光路设计中,根据高斯光束经过光学系统的变换与传输特性,分析了系统采用Cassegrain望远镜时,其遮拦比以及入射光束束腰半径对光功率透过率的影响。通过具体的数值计算得出,随着遮拦比及入射光束束腰半径的增大,系统光功率透过率将减小,给出了望远镜遮拦比与发射孔径处光斑尺寸之间的最佳匹配关系,最后讨论了离焦误差（安装误差）为0.2mm时对出射光斑尺寸的影响。     

Nd:YAG薄片激光器热致波前畸变

 理论分析了激光二极管端面泵浦薄片Nd:YAG 激光器的激光介质热效应对波前相位分布的影响，给出了薄片激光器波前热畸变的计算公式。数值模拟了理想均匀泵浦及4阶超高斯泵浦下的波前分布，分析了介质厚度和泵浦均匀性与波前畸变量的关系。研究表明，介质越薄，激光泵浦光均匀性越好，泵浦功率密度越小，激光波前畸变越小；与介质厚度、泵浦功率密度相比，泵浦光光强分布对波前的影响更为显著。