High-quality low-loss coatings for diode-pumped solid state lasers

Elena A. Levchuk; Vladimir V. Novopashin; Alexander V. Shestakov

doi:10.1117/12.328536

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29 October 1998 High-quality low-loss coatings for diode-pumped solid state lasers

Elena A. Levchuk, Vladimir V. Novopashin, Alexander V. Shestakov

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Proceedings Volume 3429, Current Developments in Optical Design and Engineering VII; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.328536
Event: SPIE's International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering, and Instrumentation, 1998, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

Recently much success has been achieved in the field of dielectric interference coatings. However, the appearance of new types of lasers (for example, diode-pumped solid-state lasers) required development of the high quality low loss coatings for various spectral regions. These coatings may be divided into two groups, antireflective coatings and cut-off filters. We have investigated the various aspects of these coatings. There are choice of the optimum construction of the optical coatings to obtain the required parameters in the specific spectral region, development of the production process to obtain the reproducing results when assembling lasers, study of optical parameters. As a result, the technology for making the following coatings has been developed: (1) the AR coatings for Nd:YAG crystals with the coefficient of residual reflection ((rho) ) less than 0.1% of one surface at 1.06 micrometer; (2) the AR stable coating for LiJO₃ crystals with the same parameters; (3) the AR coating for KTP crystals with (rho) less than 0.1% of one surface at 1.06 and 0.53 micrometer simultaneously; (4) the AR coating for the BK-7 substrates with (rho) less than 0.3% at 0.809 and 0.53 micrometer simultaneously; (5) the cut-off filter for the BK-7 or Nd:YAG crystal with high reflection (HR) greater than 99.9% at 1.06 micrometer and high transmission (HT) greater than 95% at 0.809 and 0.53 micrometer; (6) the cut-off filter with HR greater than 99.9% at 1.34 micrometer and HT greater than 95% at 0.67 micrometer; (7) the cut-off filter with HR greater than 99.9% at 1.08 micrometer, HR greater than 90% at 0.53 micrometer and HT greater than 85% at 0.355 micrometer. All types of the optical coatings have been tested in the assembly of the lasers. Now these coatings are successfully used in the commercial lasers.

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Elena A. Levchuk, Vladimir V. Novopashin, and Alexander V. Shestakov "High-quality low-loss coatings for diode-pumped solid state lasers", Proc. SPIE 3429, Current Developments in Optical Design and Engineering VII, (29 October 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.328536

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