Efficient diode side-pumping configuration of a Nd:YAG rod laser with a diffusive cavity

We propose an efficient, simple, and scalable diode side-pumping configuration of a solid-state rod laser. The rod is excited in a diffusive cavity and diode powers are transferred by a thin plate into the cavity. In multitransverse-mode cw operation, 40 W of laser power was generated with an optical-to-optical slope efficiency of 52.2% at a diode output power of 135.1 W and an electrical input power of 327.3 W into the diodes. These values correspond to an optical-to-optical total efficiency of 29.6% and an electrical-to-optical total efficiency of 12.2%. The electrical-to-optical slope efficiency was 30.3%. (C) 1997 Optical Society of America.