Abstract

In this Letter, we report a novel approach for directly exciting the lowest-order Laguerre–Gaussian (${\mathrm{LG}}_{01}$) donut mode with controllable handedness of the helical phase front trajectory in an end-pumped solid-state laser. Our approach is based on the use of a novel mode selection element consisting of two nanoscale thickness aluminum stripes to provide discrimination between ${\mathrm{LG}}_{01}$ modes with opposite handedness. This scheme has been applied to a diode-pumped Nd:YAG laser to generate and switch between ${\mathrm{LG}}_{01}$ modes with opposite handedness at output powers $\sim 1\mathrm{W}$ at 1064 nm.

© 2014 Optical Society of America

Numerical investigation on the generation of high-order Laguerre–Gaussian beams in end-pumped solid-state lasers by introducing loss control

Ajian Hu, Jian Lei, Peifeng Chen, Ying Wang, and Shumo Li
Appl. Opt. 53(33) 7845-7853 (2014)

Direct generation of an optical vortex beam in a single-frequency Nd:YVO₄ laser

D. J. Kim and J. W. Kim
Opt. Lett. 40(3) 399-402 (2015)

Exciting higher-order radial Laguerre–Gaussian modes in a diode-pumped solid-state laser resonator

Sandile Ngcobo, Kamel Aït-Ameur, Nicolas Passilly, Abdelkrim Hasnaoui, and Andrew Forbes
Appl. Opt. 52(10) 2093-2101 (2013)

Role of cavity degeneracy for high-order mode excitation in end-pumped solid-state lasers

Nicolas Barré, Marco Romanelli, and Marc Brunel
Opt. Lett. 39(4) 1022-1025 (2014)

Long-distance channeling of cold atoms exiting a 2D magneto-optical trap by a Laguerre–Gaussian laser beam

Vincent Carrat, Citlali Cabrera-Gutiérrez, Marion Jacquey, José W. Tabosa, Bruno Viaris de Lesegno, and Laurence Pruvost
Opt. Lett. 39(3) 719-722 (2014)