Abstract

We discuss the generation of Bessel–Gauss pulses directly from a diode-pumped solid-state laser. The laser resonator has a plano–concave configuration with the concave end mirror replaced with a diffractive phase element. As the active material, Nd-doped yttrium lithium fluoride (YLF) and ${\text{GdVO}}_4$ crystals have been used. The pulsed operation is obtained by passively Q-switching the laser using ${\text{Cr}}^{4+}:\text{yttrium}$ aluminum garnet (YAG) crystals with different unsaturated transmission coefficients. When guiding the pulses out from the resonator through the laser crystal, 5–10 ns long pulses with energies of $40–50\mu \text{J}$ and peak powers on the order of 10 kW are obtained. Even $70\mu \text{J}$ is possible, but this is achieved at the expense of slightly deteriorated beam quality in the far field.

© 2010 Optical Society of America

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