Multiwatt continuous-wave adaptive laser resonator

We present, for what We believe is the first time, results of continuous-wa ve diode-pumping of a Nd:YVO4 laser with an adaptive gain-grating resonator . The system is shown to produce more than a 7-W output in a TEM00 single l ongitudinal mode with a laser beam propagation parameter M-2 of <1.3 and <1 .1 in the x and y axes, respectively. We demonstrate the self-adaptive abil ities of the resonator by spatial correction of an intracavity aberrator fo r both injected and self-starting versions of the cavity. (C) 2000 Optical Society of America.