Combined guiding effect in the end-pumped laser resonator

A theoretical model as well as the experimental verification of the combined guiding mechanism for the transverse mode formation in the end-pumped laser resonator are investigated. The nonlinear Schrodinger-type wave equation in the gain medium is derived, in which the combined guiding mechanism: the thermal induced refractive index guiding effect as well as the gain guiding effect, is taken into account. The gain saturation and spatial hole burning are considered. The split step Fourier method is used to solve the nonlinear wave equation. A high power end-pumped Nd:YVO4 laser resonator is built up. After establishing the pump absorption model of our laser resonator, the temperature distribution in the gain medium is obtained by the numerical solving of the heat diffusion equation. The combined guiding effect is first observed in the end-pumped Nd:YVO4 laser resonator, and the experimental transverse mode profiles well agree with the theoretical prediction from the derived nonlinear Schrodinger-type wave equation. The geometric design criterion of the TEM00 mode laser is compared with our wave theory. The experimental- and theoretical-results show that our wave theory with the combined guiding mechanism dominates the transverse mode formation in high power end-pumped laser resonator. (C) 2011 Optical Society of America