Diode-pumped laser amplifiers: application to 0.946  m Nd:YAG

Abstract

A diode-pumped laser amplifier model is derived from first principles and applied to a Nd:YAG amplifier operating on the 4F 3/2 to 4I 9/2 transition at 0.946 μm. The effects of amplified spontaneous emission are included in the model and the addition of this effect is shown to produce better agreement with the data. The amplifier model includes effects of the transverse and longitudinal variation of the pump beam, transverse and longitudinal variation of the probe beam, and multiple passes of the probe beam. Experimental results obtained with a quasi four-level Nd:YAG amplifier operating at 0.946 μm are used to validate the model. The amplifier was evaluated as a function of the pump energy, the probe energy, the probe beam radius, the pulse repetition frequency and the temperature. For all of the experimental conditions, the experimental results and the model agree.

Power amplifier for a Q-switched solid state diode-pumped laser operating at 0.946 μm

“…To obtain higher Qswitched energies, a 0.946 µm laser amplifier was built and evaluated. [10][11] The measured gain correlated well with the predictions of a model developed at the NASA Langley Research Center. To achieve even greater energy, a power amplifier, utilizing a larger diode array as the pump source, has been built and evaluated.…”

Nd:GSAG Laser Amplifier at 942 nm Wavelength

“…The measured gain in an Nd:GSAG amplifier at 943 nm is comparable with that in Nd:YAG at 946 nm. With Nd:YAG q-switched laser energies >75 mJ [3] and small signal gains >2.7 in amplifiers [4] have been reported.…”