ARRANGEMENT FOR PUMPING AN ANISOTROPIC LASER CRYSTAL

摘要

The object in an arrangement for pumping an anisotropic laser crystal is to reduce the influence of the destruction limit of the laser crystal on increased pump power density and, in this connection, to achieve improved beam quality and increased efficiency of a diode-pumped solid state laser. In so doing, the pump volume and cross-sectional area are kept as small as possible along a length of the crystal corresponding at least approximately to the absorption length. The arrangement operates with an asymmetric pump beam whose pump beam cross section has different dimensions perpendicular to one anothe r and with a laser beam cross section which is adapted to this asymmetry. That axi s of the crystallographic axes of the anisotropic laser crystal in whose direction th e highest value of the crystal breaking limit exists is oriented along the greatest temperature gradient in the direction of the smaller dimension of the pump beam cross section.