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Construction and Characterization of External Cavity Diode Lasers for Atomic Physics
Published on: April 24, 2014
Dynamical stable cavity of side-pumped thin-disk laser with slanted sides
Hamed Aminpour1, Mustafa Yadegari, Mashaiekhi Asl
1Iranian National Center of Laser Science and Technology, P.O. Box 14665-567, Tehran, Iran. ph_matnava@yahoo.de
Applied Optics
|February 24, 2011
Summary
This study simulates a Yb:YAG thin-disk laser using finite-element analysis and beam propagation methods. It provides realistic simulations of laser beam properties, including intensity and phase profiles, for dynamically stable cavities.
Area of Science:
- Laser Physics
- Computational Optics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Dynamic stability in high-power lasers is crucial for performance.
- Thermal effects in Yb:YAG thin-disk lasers can significantly impact beam quality.
- Accurate simulation of laser cavities is essential for design and optimization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To perform a full three-dimensional simulation of a dynamically stable cavity in a Yb:YAG thin-disk laser.
- To investigate the effects of thermal deformation on laser beam characteristics.
- To validate simulation results with wave optics computations.
Main Methods:
- Finite-element analysis (FEA) for temperature, deformation, and stress.
- Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) split-step beam propagation method (BPM).
- 3D simulation of wavefront propagation in a hot, thermally deformed laser cavity.
Main Results:
- Realistic simulation of laser intensity and phase profiles.
- Accurate prediction of resonator eigenvalues.
- Identification of higher-order eigenmodes of the laser beam.
Conclusions:
- FEA combined with BPM provides accurate simulations of laser beam properties.
- Thermal deformation significantly influences laser beam characteristics in Yb:YAG thin-disk lasers.
- The simulation method is effective for designing and analyzing stable laser cavities.
