Optimization of pump size in a solid-state laser considering the temperature distribution in a laser medium

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics
• Optics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Thermal effects in laser media significantly impact performance.
• Thermally induced diffraction losses are a critical factor in laser efficiency.
• Understanding temperature distribution is key to optimizing laser output.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of laser medium temperature distribution on thermal effects.
• To analyze the relationship between pump beam radius and thermally induced diffraction losses.
• To optimize pump size for enhanced output power in diode-end-pumped lasers.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical modeling of temperature distribution and thermal effects in laser media.
• Analysis of thermally induced diffraction losses as a function of pump beam radius.
• Experimental validation using a diode-end-pumped Neodymium-doped Gadolinium Vanadate (Nd:GdVO4) laser at 1342 nm.

Main Results:

• Thermally induced diffraction losses decrease with increasing pump beam radius for constant mode-to-pump ratios.
• Neglecting real temperature effects leads to an approximation of constant diffraction losses.
• Optimized pump size successfully scaled the output power of the Nd:GdVO4 laser.

Conclusions:

• The theoretical model accurately predicts the behavior of thermally induced diffraction losses.
• Pump beam radius optimization is crucial for maximizing output power in diode-end-pumped lasers.
• Experimental results confirm the theoretical findings, validating the model's applicability.