Diode Pumped Solid State Laser Resonators

Abstract

Diode laser pumping of solid–state lasers was first accomplished in the early 1970's but in recent years has undergone a revival due to rapid developments in the technology of diode lasers. Modern high power laser diodes do however, make excellent pumps for solid–state lasers. They can be tuned to the absorption bands and efficiently coupled into the lowest order mode of the solid–state laser medium. The operation of particular diode–pumped solid–state laser systems will not be discussed in detail as the emphasis will be on resonator design. Details of recent advances in diode lasers and diode–pumped solid–state lasers may be found in recent review articles. The design of cavities for mode-locking requires a bit more thought than the simple monolithic or hybrid cavity. The chapter concludes with a discussion of unidirectional out of plane ring laser cavities for the suppression of spatial hole burning effects.