SELF-PUMPED PHASE-CONJUGATE DIODE-PUMPED ND-YAG LOOP RESONATOR

We demonstrate a self-pumped phase-conjugate diode-pumped Nd:YAG loop resonator. In the injected configuration a maximum phase-conjugate ref lectivity of 32 is obtained. The output beam has a pulse shape of simi lar to 30 ns, which shows the self-Q-switching ability of the resonato r. By use of a low-refractive-output coupler, a self-starting version was produced. The resonator operated in a stable diffraction-limited T EM00 mode, even with severe intracavity phase aberrations. A maximum e nergy of 5.5 mJ (2.4% of the energy of the high-brightness stacks that was incident upon the Nd:YAG crystals) in a 20-ns single-longitudinal -mode pulse was measured. (C) 1998 Optical Society of America.