High-efficiency flashlamp-pumped solid state lasers

A novel laser cavity design was proposed to compensate for thermally induced stress birefringence in cylindrical laser rods. The use of this optical schematic of the cavity allows lasers to operate efficiently at high average power levels. Experimentally a Nd:YAG oscillator has been operated in an electro-optically Q-switched mode giving 55 mJ linearly polarized output pulses at a pulse repetition rate of 500 Hz. Other features of the laser design include the ability to produce second and third harmonics with high efficiency.