Diode-pumped high-efficiency high-brightness Q-switched ND:YAG slab laser

Abstract

A high-efficiency diode-pumped Q-switched Nd:YAG oscillator designed for future spaceborne applications has been demonstrated and characterized. The laser is based on a side-pumped slab geometry and uses an unstable resonator with a radially variable-reflectivity output coupler. The laser provides an output pulse energy of 100 mJ at a 100-Hz repetition rate, with a near-diffraction-limited beam and an overall electrical optical efficiency exceeding 6%.