High-numerical-aperture, contact-bonded, planar waveguides for diode-bar-pumped lasers

Authors
Shepherd, DP Bonner, CL Brown, CTA Clarkson, WA Tropper, AC Hanna, DC Meissner, HE
Citation
Dp. Shepherd et al., High-numerical-aperture, contact-bonded, planar waveguides for diode-bar-pumped lasers, OPT COMMUN, 160(1-3), 1999, pp. 47-50
Citations number
12
Categorie Soggetti
Apllied Physucs/Condensed Matter/Materiales Science","Optics & Acoustics
Journal title
OPTICS COMMUNICATIONS
ISSN journal
00304018 → ACNP
Volume
160
Issue
1-3
Year of publication
1999
Pages
47 - 50
Database
ISI
SICI code
0030-4018(19990201)160:1-3<47:HCPWFD>2.0.ZU;2-S
Abstract
We report on the design and fabrication of Nd:YAG planar waveguides suitabl e for in-plane, diode-bar pumping. Contact-bonded Nd:YAG on sapphire wavegu ides are shown to have high numerical aperture (0.46), low propagation loss (< 0.2 dB/cm), and good thermal properties necessary to make efficient dio de-bar-pumped lasers and amplifiers. Coupling efficiencies of 73% and 60% h ave been demonstrated between a 20-W diode-bar and an 8-mu m and a 4-mu m t hick planar waveguide, respectively, leading to 3.7 W of waveguide laser ou tput. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.