Thermal lens measurement technique in end-pumped solid state lasers: Application to diode-pumped microchip lasers

RAKESH KAPOOR, P K MUKHOPADHYAY, JOGY GEORGE and S K SHARMA

Center for Advanced Technology, Indore 452 013, India
Email: rkapoor@cat.ernet.in

Abstract:

A simple derivation, which relates the thermal lens focal length in solid state lasers to pump power and a method for direct estimation of thermal lens focal length, is reported. This method is applicable to any type of stable resonator. The method is used for the measurement of the thermal lens focal length with an accuracy of 8% in an axially pumped microchip laser. The variation of focal length with pump power is also measured.

keywords: Thermal lens; microchip laser; diode pumping.


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