Abstract

For the first time a diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser using leaky wave fiber coupling has been demonstrated. The laser had an output of 24.5μJ using an input of 1.74 mJ and an 11% slope efficiency. At this energy level its transverse mode profile appeared as a superposition of two TEM₀₁ modes, with one rotated 90° about the longitudinal axis relative to the other. A model describing the transverse pump energy distribution for the laser has been developed. The pump/lasing mode overlap efficiency was calculated to range from 44 to 46% for a mode occupying one half of a 1.9 mm diameter laser rod.

© 1995 Optical Society of America