ZIGZAG SLAB SOLID-STATE LASER AMPLIFIER AND METHOD FOR COMPENSATING THERMAL LENS EFFECT OF ZIGZAG SLAB SOLID- STATE LASER

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a zigzag slab solid-state laser amplifier which can easily and effectively compensate thermal lens effects, even when excitation intensity is high and a lens for compensation is unusable and a method for compensating thermal lens effect of zigzag slab solid-state laser. SOLUTION: In the zigzag slab solid-state amplifier 11, a hot channel 25 is arranged along both end faces of a laser medium 21, which are oriented in parallel with a plane containing a zigzag propagation path. When the amplifier 11 is operated, hot water is made to circularly flow in the channel 25 and both ed faces of the medium 21, which are oriented in parallel with the plane containing the zigzag propagation path are heated. Since the temperature gradient in the laser medium 21 in the direction perpendicular to the plane containing the zigzag propagation path is flattened, thermal lens effects are compensated.