Magic mode switching in Yb:CaGdAlO_4 laser under high pump power

Abstract

We present unique spatial-mode switching in a cw Yb:CALGO laser when pumped at a multihundred-watts power level. It permits us to automatically stabilize to a TEM(00) mode from a highly spatial multimode regime. This stabilization is achievable thanks to polarization-mode switching allowed by the particular spectroscopic and thermal properties of Yb:CALGO crystal. This atypical and unexpected behavior is studied in detail in this Letter and explained by analysis of the thermo-optical coefficients for CALGO.