Generation regimes of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser with transverse LED pumping and multiloop self-pumped phase-conjugate cavity

• Published in: Technical physics 2014-12, Vol.59 (12), p.1844-1848
• Main Authors: Lebedev, V. F., Pogoda, A. P., Smetanin, S. N., Boreisho, A. S., Fedin, A. V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Classical and Continuum Physics; Optics; Physics; Physics and Astronomy
• ISSN: 1063-7842; 1090-6525
• DOI: 10.1134/S1063784214120159

The generation regimes in a pulsed Nd:YAG laser with transverse LED pumping and multiloop self-pumped phase-conjugate cavity on the gain gratings are studied. The differential efficiency of laser is 27% in the free-running regime at a pulse energy of up to 1 J and quality parameter M 2 of no greater than 1.5. The pulse energy under passive Q -switching is no less than 60% of the pulse energy in the free-running regime at the same beam quality. The generation of the narrow-band radiation is demonstrated. A generation band of no greater than 1.2 GHz corresponds to the primary single-frequency high-power laser pulse in the free-running mode under conditions for self- Q -switching on the gain gratings. When additional elements (F 2 − :LiF and Cr 4+ :YAG crystals) are introduced in the optical scheme of the phase-conjugate cavity, similar narrowband single-mode generation is observed in the passive Q -switching regime as a pulse train or monopulse. The laser pulse power is up to 2 MW at a pulse duration of 20 ns.