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Anisotropy of the photo-elastic effect in Nd : KGd(WO 4 ) 2 laser crystals

2014; IOP Publishing; Volume: 11; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1088/1612-2011/11/5/055002

1612-202X

Pavel Loiko, Vasili G. Savitski, Alan J. Kemp, A. A. Pavlyuk, Н. В. Кулешов, K. V. Yumashev,

Luminescence Properties of Advanced Materials

The anisotropy of thermal lensing and the photo-elastic effect is characterized for diode-pumped Nd : KGd(WO4)2 crystals cut along the Np and Ng optical indicatrix axes and along its optical axis, O = Ng + 43°, at a laser wavelength of 1067 nm. Distortions in the spatial profile of the output laser beam are analyzed. The thermal lens is astigmatic; the orientation of its principal meridional planes, A and B, is determined by the anisotropy of photo-elastic effect. The thermal lens has opposite signs for rays lying in the principal meridional planes for Np- and O-cut crystals; it is positive for an Ng-cut crystal. The increase of thermal lens optical power after absorption of 1 W of pump power, i.e. the thermal lens sensitivity factors MA(B), and astigmatism degree S = |MA–MB| are determined. The photo-elastic effect was found to increase the optical power of the thermal lens and was significant for all studied crystal orientations.