Scalable, end-pumped, diode-laser-pumped laser

Abstract

A novel technique for scaling end-pumped lasers is demonstrated using three diode-laser arrays to pump a single Nd:YAG laser. Diffraction-limited output with a 58% slope efficiency was obtained. Simple arguments indicate that this method should allow at least an order of magnitude increase in pump power, compared with that from a single high-power diode array, to be focused into the same fixed-mode volume of the pumped laser. Such a scheme may be particularly useful with low-gain, quasi-three-level, or tunable lasers.