Thermal lens study in diode pumped Ng- and Np-cut Nd:KGd(WO4)2 laser crystals

P A Loiko; K V Yumashev; N V Kuleshov; V G Savitski; S Calvez; D Burns; A A Pavlyuk

doi:10.1364/OE.17.023536

Thermal lens study in diode pumped Ng- and Np-cut Nd:KGd(WO4)2 laser crystals

Opt Express. 2009 Dec 21;17(26):23536-43. doi: 10.1364/OE.17.023536.

Authors

P A Loiko¹, K V Yumashev, N V Kuleshov, V G Savitski, S Calvez, D Burns, A A Pavlyuk

Affiliation

¹ Institute for Optical Materials and Technologies, Belarussian National Technical University, 65 Nezavisimosti Ave., bldg. 17, Minsk, 220013, Belarus.

PMID: 20052061
DOI: 10.1364/OE.17.023536

Abstract

A comparative study of thermal lensing effect in diode laser pumped Ng- and Np-cut Nd:KGd(WO4)2 (KGW) laser crystals was performed for laser emission polarized along the principle refractive axis, Nm. The thermal lens in the Ng-cut Nd: KGW was found to be weakly astigmatic with a positive refractive power for both the Nm- and Np-directions. For Np -cut Nd:KGW, strong astigmatism was observed and the refractive powers in the Ng- and Nm-directions had opposing signs. The degree of astigmatism was found to be considerably weaker for the Ng-cut Nd:KGW in comparison with the Np-cut one: 0.35 dptr/(W/cm2) and 2.85 dptr/(W/cm2), respectively. The ratio of the thermal lens refractive powers in the planes parallel and perpendicular to the laser emission polarisation were measured as +1.4 and -0.425 for Ng- and Np-cut Nd:KGW respectively.

MeSH terms

Computer-Aided Design
Equipment Design
Equipment Failure Analysis
Lasers, Solid-State*
Lenses*
Semiconductors*
Temperature