title: Thermal lens shaping in Brewster gain media: A high-power, diode-pumped Nd:GdVO(4) laser.
abstract: A straightforward method is presented for generating a stigmatic spherical thermal lens in laser-diode-pumped, Brewster-cut solid-state gain media by shaping the aspect ratio of the elliptical pumped region. Demonstration of this laser head design with Nd:GdVO(4) as the gain medium yields a stable, efficient, high-power (>20W) diode-pumped laser at 1063nm. Analysis of the spatial mode characteristics of a 67cm-long symmetric resonator both confirms the radially symmetric nature of the pump-induced thermal lens and indicates that laser resonators incorporating this head design can readily generate a high spatial beam quality (M(2) < 2).
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rimington
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schieffer
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schroeder
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brickeen