Resonator voor laserenergieopslag

What makes a good laser resonator?

Many aspects of a laser’s performance depend substantially on the design of its laser resonator: the power-conversion efficiency, the beam quality, and the alignment sensitivity, for example. Therefore, it is essential—although often not easy—to develop optimized laser resonator designs.

What is a resonator in a high-power laser system?

In high-power laser systems, resonators play a crucial role in generating and delivering intense laser beams for materials processing applications, such as laser cutting and welding. The resonator design ensures efficient beam delivery and control, enabling precise and accurate processing of various materials.

What are bulk laser resonators?

Bulk laser resonators are considered here, where the resonator modes are determined by a balance of focusing effects (for example, from curved laser mirrors) and the diffraction of light in free-space regions. Figure 1 shows two examples: a linear and a ring resonator.

How can laser resonators improve beam quality?

One of the key areas of advancement in laser resonators is in beam quality. By improving the quality of the laser beam, the overall performance of laser systems can be enhanced. This is particularly important in applications where precision and accuracy are crucial, such as laser cutting and microfabrication.

How does a laser resonator work?

The laser resonator consists of a highly reflecting curved mirror and a partially transmissive flat mirror, the output coupler. The gain medium, such as a laser crystal or rod, is side-pumped with light from laser diodes or a flash lamp.

What are the parameters of a laser resonator?

Usually, all parameters of the laser resonator such as output coupler transmission and additional optical power losses are constant during operation, but there may be adjustments of the resonator length or the pass band of an optical filter for spectral control during operation, as discussed below.