Analysis of temperature distributions in diode-pumped alkali vapor lasers

Assuming the pump light to be a Gaussian beam and considering the medium absorption, we establish the heat conduction model to describe the temperature distribution in diode-pumped alkali vapor lasers (DPALs) with two different pumping ways. Combining with the experimental parameters in cesium laser, the spatial temperature distribution picture, the longitudinal and the radial temperature distributions of two cesium lasers are obtained by numerical solving the model. Influences of the pump power, the beam waist and the absorption coefficient on the axial and the radial temperature distribution are calculated and compared for the two Cs lasers. The result suggests that Cs laser pumped by two laser diode arrays can improve the spatial temperature distribution condition and reduce the longitudinal temperature gradient, which is good for reducing the thermal effects and improving the output characteristics of DPALs.