Modeling of diode-end-pumped Q-switched solid-state lasers: influence of energy-transfer upconversion

Abstract

The influence of energy-transfer upconversion (ETU) on diode-end-pumped actively Q-switched lasers is investigated by the space-dependent rate equation analysis. The numerical analysis reveals that as a consequence of the ETU effect there is an optimum pump size for yielding the largest pulse energy and a different optimum pump for yielding the highest peak power at a given pump power. The practical example of the diode-pumped actively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser has been used to verify the present model. (C) 2002 Optical Society of America.