title: Thermal lens study in diode pumped Ng- and Np-cut Nd:KGd(WO4)2 laser crystals.
abstract: A comparative study of thermal lensing effect in diode laser pumped Ng- and Np-cut Nd:KGd(WO4)2 (KGW) laser crystals was performed for laser emission polarized along the principle refractive axis, Nm. The thermal lens in the Ng-cut Nd: KGW was found to be weakly astigmatic with a positive refractive power for both the Nm- and Np-directions. For Np -cut Nd:KGW, strong astigmatism was observed and the refractive powers in the Ng- and Nm-directions had opposing signs. The degree of astigmatism was found to be considerably weaker for the Ng-cut Nd:KGW in comparison with the Np-cut one: 0.35 dptr/(W/cm2) and 2.85 dptr/(W/cm2), respectively. The ratio of the thermal lens refractive powers in the planes parallel and perpendicular to the laser emission polarisation were measured as +1.4 and -0.425 for Ng- and Np-cut Nd:KGW respectively.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Optical Materials and Technologies, Belarussian National Technical University, 65 Nezavisimosti Ave., bldg. 17, Minsk, 220013, Belarus.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Loiko
authors.forename: K V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Yumashev
authors.forename: N V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Kuleshov
authors.forename: V G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Savitski
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Calvez
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Pavlyuk
mesh_terms: D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D053844:Lasers, Solid-State; D007909:Lenses; D012666:Semiconductors; D013696:Temperature