Two-piece, piezoelectrically tuned, single-mode Nd:YAG ring laser.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Physics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Monolithic ring lasers offer stable operation but lack tunability.
• Piezoelectric tuning provides a method for dynamic cavity length adjustment.
• Semiconductor laser pumping enables compact and efficient laser systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a tunable Nd:YAG ring laser operating at 1338 nm.
• To investigate piezoelectric tuning of a two-piece ring laser cavity.
• To characterize the output power and tuning performance.

Main Methods:

• A monolithic Nd:YAG ring laser was modified into a two-piece, piezoelectrically tunable cavity.
• The laser was pumped using a 30-mW, 809-nm GaAlAs semiconductor laser.
• Output power and tuning characteristics were measured across the longitudinal mode spacing.

Main Results:

• A single-mode Nd:YAG ring laser operating at 1338 nm was successfully demonstrated.
• The two-piece design allowed for continuous tuning by adjusting the gap between cavity pieces.
• Output power exceeded 1 mW, with continuous tuning over 13.5 GHz achieved in milliseconds.

Conclusions:

• The piezoelectrically tuned two-piece Nd:YAG ring laser is a viable source for tunable 1338 nm light.
• This laser architecture offers a balance of tunability and output power for spectroscopic applications.
• The millisecond tuning capability opens possibilities for dynamic optical measurements.