Scalable, End-Pumped, Diode Laser Pumped Nd:YAG Laser

Abstract

The highest efficiency diode laser pumped lasers with good beam quality have been demonstrated using an end-pumped geometry. However, end-pumped lasers have been limited to low power because of difficulties in scaling. Some techniques used to scale end-pumped lasers include polarization coupling, higher power pump sources,1 multiple pump sources using fiber coupling,2 and providing multiple "ends" by using many gain elements.3 Here we present an alternate method for scaling an end-pumped laser which is compatible with all the above techniques. Our technique takes advantage of the difference in beam quality from the diode laser in the planes perpendicular and parallel to the junction.