Pumping chamber design in diode pumped solid-state lasers for maximum system efficiency and minimum optical distortion

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Thesis Type: Postgraduate

Institution Of The Thesis: Middle East Technical University, Turkey

Approval Date: 2013

Thesis Language: English

Student: Kubilay Zengin

Supervisor: GÖNÜL SAYAN

Abstract:

The beam quality and the system efficiency of a diode-pumped solid-state laser source are directly related to the thermal profile inside the laser crystal. The thermal profile in a laser crystal should be made uniform in order to reduce the negative effects of the thermal lens. However, the absorbed pump profile that forms a uniform thermal profile inside the gain medium may adversely affect the system efficiency. In this thesis, a computational and empirical method was developed for designing pumping chambers that results in a suitable thermal profile inside the gain medium, and thus desired laser beam quality was achieved while keeping the system efficiency at an acceptable level. Accomplishment of this thesis work will lead to the design of pumping chambers and resonators in high power laser systems operating at even higher thermal loads.