Acousto-optically induced unidirectional and single-frequency operation of a Nd:glass ring laser based on the...

A traveling-wave acousto-optic modulator fabricated from Nd-doped phosphate glass is used both as the laser gain medium and as the unidirectional element in a diode-pumped ring laser. Unidirectional operation can be maintained with applied rf powers as low as 6.7 mW and results in cw single-frequency output powers as high as 200 mW for a pump power of 1.2 W.