| Abstract: | The beam quality and output power of high power solid-state lasers is influenced by birefringence. Inhomogeneous distribution of the thermal field inside the laser crystal rod occurs due to non-uniform absorption of the pump light inside the crystal and a heat sink only at boundaries. Due to the photoelastic effect, this distribution leads to inhomogeneous thermal strains and birefringence inside the rod. Plane stress and plane strain assumptions for an axially symmetric pumped crystal have been used formerly for analytical models for calculating the birefringence. This model leads in case of an [111]-cut crystal to an axially symmetric birefringence pattern. However, the shear strains in the axial-radial plane are neglected in this former models using plane stress and plane strain assumptions. This shear strains are taken into account by full 3D numerical calculations. A threefold symmetry pattern due to the anisotropic behaviour of the photoelastic tensor, which is contradictory to the ideal use of a radial or azimuthal polarized beam, is shown by results of the birefringence simulation. A laser rod pumped at three sides with threefold symmetry is analysed in order to reduce the effect of birefringence. In this case the absorption is not axially symmetric anymore. Within the crystal in regions where pumping is stronger, the pump light absorption and consequently the temperature, the strains and birefringence are higher. The degree of three-fold symmetry of birefringence will be reduced, if the region having a low birefringence due to the photoelastic effect is more strongly pumped than the rest of domain. This means the birefringence is affected by the rotation of crystal around its [111]-axis. By an optimal rotation with respect to the edges of the crystal, smallest birefringence can be obtained. For generating radial or azimuthal polarizations, the output beam of this laser device is therefore more suitable. (© 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) |
