Thermally induced birefringence in Nd : YAG slab lasers
- We study thermally induced birefringence in crystalline Nd:YAG zigzag slab lasers and the associated depolarization losses. The optimum crystallographic orientation of the zigzag slab within the Nd:YAG boule and photoelastic effects in crystalline Nd:YAG slabs are briefly discussed. The depolarization is evaluated using the temperature and stress distributions, calculated using a finite element model, for realistically pumped and cooled slabs of finite dimensions. Jones matrices are then used to calculate the depolarization of the zigzag laser mode. We compare the predictions with measurements of depolarization, and suggest useful criteria for the design of the gain media for such lasers.
Author details: | Martin Ostermeyer, Damien Mudge, Peter John Veitch, Jesper Munch |
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URL: | http://www.opticsinfobase.org/ |
DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.45.005368 |
Publication type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Year of first publication: | 2006 |
Publication year: | 2006 |
Release date: | 2017/03/24 |
Source: | Applied optics. - 45 (2006), 21, S. 5368 - 5376 |
Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Physik und Astronomie |
Peer review: | Referiert |
Institution name at the time of the publication: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Physik |