Experimental and numerical analysis of thermal lensing effects in Nd:YVO4
Abstract
The power dependent wavefront distortions in a Nd:YVO4 laser amplifier were analyzed using a 976 nm probe beam. The experimental results were in excellent agreement with a numerical thermo-optical model based on split-step Fourier propagation. Although direct pumping at 878.6 nm was used, the quantum defect was identified as the dominant heat source (99 % of total heat) while energy transfer upconversion and fluorescence quenching have only a local contribution. As a result, the thermal lens reached 14 dpt dioptric power at 43 W output power (46 % efficiency). Apart from the defocus, astigmatism and spherical aberrations were identified as main components of the thermal lens.
Details
- Organisation(s)
-
QuantumFrontiers
Institute of Photonics
- External Organisation(s)
-
Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (LZH)
- Type
- Article
- Journal
- Optics express
- Volume
- 34
- Pages
- 3118-3125
- No. of pages
- 8
- ISSN
- 1094-4087
- Publication date
- 26.01.2026
- Publication status
- Published
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
- Electronic version(s)
-
https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.583060 (Access:
Open
)
Cite
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