Solid-state Waveguide Lasers

DIODE-PUMPED SOLID-STATE LASERS HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF BEING ALL-SOLID-STATE DEVICES WITH OVERALL EFFICIENCIES OF SEVERAL PERCENT AND LONG OPERATING LIFETIMES, SINGLE-MODE SOLID-STATE LASERS ARE USEFUL FOR A NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RANGING FROM COMMUNICATIONS TO LASER RADAR. HIGH AVERAGE POWER OPERATION REQUIRES EXTENSIVE COOLING OF THE LASER CRYSTAL TO PREVENT THERMAL DEGRADATION OF THE BEAM. SOLID-STATE WAVEGUIDE LASERS CAN ACHIEVE HIGH AVERAGE POWER, SINGLE-MODE OUTPUT WITH GOOD CONVERSION EFFICIENCY AND EFFICIENT HEAT DISSIPATION. IN THE DEVICES PROPOSED HERE, A TEM MODE PROPAGATES IN A WAVEGUIDE STRUCTURE WITH A CROSSSECTIONAL DIMENSION OF HUNDREDS OF WAVELENGTHS. THE WAVEGUIDE ALLOWS EFFICIENT ABSORPTION OF PUMP RADIATION AND GOOD MODE OVERLAP WITH THE PUMP. HIGH POWER WAVEGUIDE LASERS HAVE INHERENT ADVANTAGES OVER CONVENTIONAL DIODE-PUMPED SOLID-STATE LASERS IN TERMS OF POWER SCALABILITY, LOW MANUFACTURING COSTS, ROBUSTNESS AND RELIABILITY.