Birefringence compensation in polarization coupled lasers.
The use of optical rotators and waveplates to compensate for thermally induced birefringence in cylindrical laser rods is reported. The use of these components allows polarization coupled lasers to operate efficiently at high average power levels. Experimentally a Nd:YAG oscillator has been operated in a Q-switched TEM(00) mode giving 300-mJ pulses and 15 W of average power.
Richards
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