M modes in a diode side-pumped Nd:glass slab laser

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Laser Technology
• Optics

Background:

• High-power lasers are crucial for various scientific and industrial applications.
• Extracting high-quality beams from large-volume laser media presents significant challenges.
• Existing laser cavity designs often struggle with efficient mode control and beam extraction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a novel hemiconfocal cavity design for a pulsed Nd:glass slab laser.
• To demonstrate the production of a multibounce M-shaped beam.
• To assess the feasibility of extracting diffraction-limited beams from a large laser volume using this configuration.

Main Methods:

• Operation of a pulsed Nd:glass slab laser.
• Utilizing a hemiconfocal cavity with strategically placed beam stops.
• Analysis of the output beam characteristics, including shape and quality.

Main Results:

• Successfully generated a multibounce laser beam in the shape of the letter M.
• Achieved extraction of diffraction-limited beams from a large volume of the Nd:glass slab.
• Observed an optical slope efficiency of 14% with four output beams.

Conclusions:

• The hemiconfocal cavity design with beam stops is effective for producing M-shaped laser beams.
• This configuration enables efficient extraction of high-quality beams from large-volume slab lasers.
• The demonstrated method offers a promising approach for advanced laser beam generation and control.