THEORETICAL COMPARISON OF THE 3 MOST WIDELY USED RESONATORS FOR HIGH-POWER ND-YAG LASERS

The three most widely used resonators for pulsed high-power Nd-YAG las ers are compared theoretically using the gaussian beams propagation la ws and the equivalent resonators method. We summarize the useful relat ions concerning these cavities and we compare their physical propertie s. A discussion about their relative advantages and drawbacks is given . For industrial applications, the ring plane resonator seems to be th e most practical, especially because of its fixed beam-waist position.