Skip to main content
Log in

Laguerre-Gaussian modes selection in diode-pumped solid-state lasers

  • Invited Review Papers
  • Published:
Optical Review Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Over the last twenty years, diode pumping of solid-state lasers has opened new prospects for the mode control and formation of Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beams, enabling a large variety of applications. Experiments on scalar and vector LG modes selection in Nd3+- and Yb3+-doped ceramics and crystal lasers carried out at the Institute for Laser Science, Tokyo are reviewed. Selection of LG modes from low to high orders using intra-cavity elements, polarization-selective mirrors, or shaping the pump beam profile, is considered. Illustrations of record-high-order LG hollow modes, multiring modes with highly directional propagation properties, characteristics of cw and pulsed lasers with radially or azimuthally polarized beams of high polarization purity are presented. General solutions of the wave equation for the axi-symmetric electric field, which describe LG beams of various profiles, are proposed for data analysis. In parallel, a short review on LG modes selection studies carried out at other laboratories is given.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. A. Fox and T. Li: Bell Syst. Tech. J. 40 (1961) 453.

    Google Scholar 

  2. G. Boyd and H. Kogelnik: Bell Syst. Tech. J. 41 (1962) 1347.

    Google Scholar 

  3. H. Kogelnik and T. Li: Appl. Opt. 5 (1966) 1550.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. H. Kogelnik and W. Rigrod: Proc. IRE 50 (1962) 220.

    Google Scholar 

  5. W. Rigrod: Appl. Phys. Lett. 2 (1963) 51.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. P. Smith: Proc. IEEE 60 (1972) 422.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. M. Rioux, P. Bélanger, and M. Cormier: Appl. Opt. 16 (1977) 1791.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. A. Kolchenko, A. Nikitenko, and Y. Troitskii: Sov. J. Quantum Electron. 10 (1980) 1013.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. P. Bélanger, R. Lachance, and C. Pare: Opt. Lett. 17 (1992) 739.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. K. Abramski, H. Baker, A. Colly, and D. Hall: Appl. Phys. Lett. 60 (1992) 2469.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. J. Leger, D. Chen, and Z. Wang: Opt. Lett. 19 (1994) 108.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. J. Leger, D. Chen, and K. Dai: Opt. Lett. 19 (1994) 1976.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. H. Laabs and B. Ozygus: Opt. Laser Technol. 28 (1996) 213.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Y. F. Chen, T. M. Huang, C. F. Kao, C. L. Wang, and S. C. Wang: IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 33 (1997) 1025.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. C. Degen, I. Fischer, and W. Elsäßer: Opt. Express 5 (1999) 38.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. R. Oron, Y. Danziger, N. Davidson, A. Friesem, and E. Hasman: Opt. Commun. 169 (1999) 115.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. R. Oron, Y. Danziger, N. Davidson, A. Friesem, and E. Hasman: Appl. Phys. Lett. 74 (1999) 1373.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. Yu. Senatsky, N. Bykovsky, L. Vinogradsky, I. Zubarev, V. Mizin, M. Pyatakhin, S. Sobolev, K. Ueda, and A. Shelobolin: Bull. Russ. Acad. Sci., Phys. 66 (2002) 1008.

    Google Scholar 

  19. R. Oron, N. Davidson, E. Hasman, and A. Friesem: Transverse Mode Shaping and Selection in Laser Resonators, ed. E. Wolf (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2001) Progress in Optics, Vol. 42, Chap. 6, p. 325.

    Google Scholar 

  20. T. Fan and R. L. Byer: IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 24 (1988) 895.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. A. Mak and V. Ustyugov: Laser Phys. 6 (1996) 431.

    Google Scholar 

  22. D. Hanna and W. Clarkson: A Review of Diode-Pumped Lasers, ed. D. Finlayson and B. Sinclair (Taylor & Francis, New York, 1999) Advances in Lasers and Applications.

    Google Scholar 

  23. T. Otani, L. Herbst, M. Heglin, S. Govorkov, and A. Wiessner: Appl. Phys. A 79 (2004) 1335.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. M. Ahmed, M. Haefner, M. Vogel, Ch. Pruss, A. Voss, W. Osten, and T. Graf: Opt. Express 19 (2011) 5093.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. J. Dong, K. Ueda, H. Yagi, and A. A. Kaminskii: Opt. Rev. 15 (2008) 57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. A. Siegman: Lasers (University Science Books, Sausalito, CA, 1986).

  27. N. Hodgson and H. Weber: Laser Resonators and Beam Propagation (Springer, New York, 2007) Springer Series in Optical Sciences, Vol. 108, 2nd ed.

    Google Scholar 

  28. L. Allen, M. Beijersbergen, R. Spreeuw, and J. Woerdman: Phys. Rev. A 45 (1992) 8185.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  29. H. He, M. Friese, N. Heckenberg, and H. Rubinsztein-Dunlop: Phys. Rev. Lett. 75 (1995) 826.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  30. H. He, N. Heckenberg, and H. Rubinsztein-Dunlop: J. Mod. Opt. 42 (1995) 217.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  31. T. Kuga, Y. Torii, N. Shiokawa, T. Hirano, Y. Shimizu, and H. Sasada: Phys. Rev. Lett. 78 (1997) 4713.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  32. M. Clifford, J. Arlt, J. Courtial, and K. Dholakia: Opt. Commun. 156 (1998) 300.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  33. K. Gahagan and G. Swartzlander, Jr.: J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 16 (1999) 533.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  34. J. Arlt and M. Padgett: Opt. Lett. 25 (2000) 191.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  35. J. Arlt, T. Hitomi, and K. Dholakia: Appl. Phys. B 71 (2000) 549.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  36. G. Molina-Terriza, J. Torres, and L. Torner: Phys. Rev. Lett. 88 (2001) 013601.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  37. T. Watanabe, Y. Iketaki, T. Omatsu, K. Yamamoto, M. Sakai, and M. Fujii: Opt. Express 11 (2003) 3271.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  38. T. Watanabe, Y. Igasaki, N. Fukuchi, M. Sakai, S. Ishiuchi, M. Fujii, T. Omatsu, K. Yamamoto, and Y. Iketaki: Opt. Eng. 43 (2004) 1136.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  39. T. Omatsu, K. Chuj, K. Miyamoto, M. Okida, K. Nakamura, N. Aoki, and R. Morita: Opt. Express 18 (2010) 17967.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  40. Y. Chen, Y. Lan, and S. Wang: Appl. Phys. B 72 (2001) 167.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  41. Y. Chen and Y. Lan: Phys. Rev. A 63 (2001) 063807.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  42. A. Ishaaya, N. Davidson, G. Machavariani, E. Hasman, and A. Friesem: IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 39 (2003) 74.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  43. A. Ishaaya, N. Davidson, and A. Friesem: Opt. Express 13 (2005) 4952.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  44. J. Arlt, K. Dholakia, L. Allen, and M. J. Padgett: J. Mod. Optics 45 (1998) 1231.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  45. S. Khonina, V. Kotlyar, R. Skidanov, V. Soifer, P. Laakkonen, and J. Turunen: Opt. Commun. 175 (2000) 301.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  46. K. Sueda, G. Miyaji, N. Miyanaga, and M. Nakatsuka: Opt. Express 12 (2004) 3548.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  47. N. Matsumoto, T. Ando, T. Inoue, Y. Ohtake, N. Fukuchi, and T. Hara: J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 25 (2008) 1642.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  48. J. Durnin and J. Miceli, Jr.: Phys. Rev. Lett. 58 (1987) 1499.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  49. R. Herman and T. Wiggins: J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 8 (1991) 932.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  50. J. Arlt and K. Dholakia: Opt. Commun. 177 (2000) 297.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  51. A. Hakola, S. Buchter, T. Kajava, H. Elfströmm, J. Simonen, P. Pääkkönen, and J. Turunen: Opt. Commun. 238 (2004) 335.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  52. D. McGloin and K. Dholakia: Contemp. Phys. 46 (2005) 15.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  53. M. Bandress and J. Gutierrez-Vega: Opt. Lett. 29 (2004) 144.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  54. U. Schwarz, M. Bandres, and J. Gutierrez-Vega: Opt. Lett. 29 (2004) 1870.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  55. T. Ohtomo, K. Kamikariya, K. Otsuka, and S.-C. Chu: Opt. Express 15 (2007) 10705.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  56. K. Tokunaga, S.-C. Chu, H.-Y. Hsiao, T. Ohtomo, and K. Otsuka: Laser Phys. Lett. 6 (2009) 635.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  57. D. Pohl: Appl. Phys. Lett. 20 (1972) 266.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  58. Y. Mushiake, K. Matsumura, and N. Nakajima: Proc. IEEE 60 (1972) 1107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  59. D. Hall: Opt. Lett. 21 (1996) 9.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  60. P. Greene and D. Hall: J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 15 (1998) 3020.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  61. A. Tovar: J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 15 (1998) 2705.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  62. A. V. Nesterov and V. G. Niziev: J. Phys. D 33 (2000) 1817.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  63. R. Oron, S. Blit, N. Davidson, A. Friesem, Z. Bomzon, and E. Hasman: Appl. Phys. Lett. 77 (2000) 3322.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  64. T. Moser, M. Ahmed, F. Pigeon, O. Parriaux, E. Wyss, and T. Graf: Laser Phys. Lett. 1 (2004) 234.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  65. Y. Kozawa and S. Sato: Opt. Lett. 30 (2005) 3063.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  66. K. Yonezawa, Y. Kozawa, and S. Sato: Opt. Lett. 31 (2006) 2151.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  67. V. Niziev, R. Chang, and A. Nesterov: Appl. Opt. 45 (2006) 8393.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  68. M. Ahmed, A. Voss, M. Vogel, and T. Graf: Opt. Lett. 32(2007) 3272.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  69. C. Maurer, A. Jesacher, S. Fürhapter, S. Bernet, and M. Ritsch-Marte: New J. Phys. 9 (2007) 78.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  70. K. Yonezawa, Y. Kozawa, and S. Sato: Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 46 (2007) 5160.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  71. Y. Kozawa, K. Yonezawa, and S. Sato: Appl. Phys. B 88 (2007) 43.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  72. Y. Kozawa and S. Sato: Opt. Lett. 33 (2008) 2278.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  73. Y. Kozawa, S. Sato, T. Sato, Y. Inoue, Y. Ohtera, and S. Kawakami: Appl. Phys. Express 1 (2008) 022008.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  74. Y. Kozawa and S. Sato: J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 27 (2010) 399.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  75. A. Ito, Y. Kozawa, and S. Sato: J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 27 (2010) 2072.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  76. Q. Zhan: Adv. Opt. Photonics 1 (2009) 1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  77. Q. Zhan: Opt. Express 12 (2004) 3577.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  78. F. Peng, B. Yao, S. Yan, W. Zhao, and M. Lei: J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 26 (2009) 2242.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  79. Q. Zhan and J. R. Leger: Appl. Opt. 41 (2002) 4630.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  80. J.-F. Bisson, A. Shirakawa, Y. Sato, Yu. Senatsky, and K. Ueda: Opt. Rev. 11 (2004) 353.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  81. J.-F. Bisson, K. Ueda, and Yu. Senatsky: Laser Phys. Lett. 2 (2005) 327.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  82. J.-F. Bisson, J. Li, K. Ueda, and Yu. Senatsky: Opt. Express 14 (2006) 3304.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  83. J. Li, K. Ueda, L. Zhong, M. Musha, A. Shirakawa, and T. Sato: Opt. Express 16 (2008) 10841.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  84. J. Li, K. Ueda, M. Musha, L. Zhong, and A. Shirakawa: Opt. Lett. 33 (2008) 2686.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  85. J. Li, A. Shirakawa, K. Ueda, D. Lin, and L. Zhong: Rev. Laser Eng. 37 (2009) 806.

    Google Scholar 

  86. J. Li, D. Lin, L. Zhong, K. Ueda, A. Shirakawa, M. Musha, and W. Chen: Laser Phys. Lett. 6 (2009) 711.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  87. Yu. Senatsky, J.-F. Bisson, A. Shelobolin, A. Shirakawa, and K. Ueda: Laser Phys. 19 (2009) 911.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  88. M. Thirugnanasambandam, Yu. Senatsky, and K. Ueda: Laser Phys. Lett. 7 (2010) 637.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  89. M. Thirugnanasambandam, Yu. Senatsky, A. Shirakawa, and K. Ueda: Opt. Mater. 33 (2011) 675.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  90. M. Thirugnanasambandam, Yu. Senatsky, and K. Ueda: Opt. Express 19 (2011) 1905.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  91. W. Koechner: Solid-State Laser Engineering (Springer, Berlin, 2006) 6th ed.

    Google Scholar 

  92. W. Krupke: IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron. 6 (2000) 1287.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  93. J.-F. Bisson, J. Lu, K. Takaichi, Y. Feng, M. Tokurakawa, A. Shirakawa, A. Kaminskii, H. Yagi, T. Yanagitani, and K. Ueda: Recent Res. Dev. Appl. Phys. 7 (2004) 475.

    Google Scholar 

  94. W. Clarkson: J. Phys. D 34 (2001) 2381.

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  Google Scholar 

  95. S. Chénais, F. Druon, S. Forget, F. Balembois, and P. Georges: Prog. Quantum Electron. 30 (2006) 89.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  96. J.-F. Bisson, O. Parriaux, J. Pommier, S. Tonchev, and K. Ueda: Appl. Phys. B 85 (2006) 519.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  97. O. Parriaux and J. F. Bisson: J. Mod. Opt. 55 (2008) 1899.

    Google Scholar 

  98. O. Parriaux, N. Lyndin, A. Tischienko, and J. F. Bisson: European Patent 1966636 (2008).

  99. J.-F. Bisson, N. Lyndin, K. Ueda, and O. Parriaux: IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 44 (2008) 628.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  100. M. Okida, T. Omatsu, M. Itoh, and T. Yatagai: Opt. Express 15 (2007) 7616.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  101. S. Chard, P. Shardlow, and M. Damzen: Appl. Phys. B 97 (2009) 275.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  102. M. Okida, Y. Hayashi, T. Omatsu, J. Hamazaki, and R. Morita: Appl. Phys. B 95 (2009) 69.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  103. N. Hodgson and H. Weber: IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 29 (1993) 2497.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  104. Ch. Kennedy: Appl. Opt. 41 (2002) 6991.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  105. M. Thirugnanasambandam: Doctor Thesis, University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo (2011).

  106. C. Flood, G. Giuliani, and H. van Driel: Opt. Lett. 15 (1990) 215.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  107. J. Frauchiger, P. Albers, and H. Weber: IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 28 (1992) 1046.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  108. C. Serrat, M. van Exter, N. van Druten, and J. Woerdman: IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 35 (1999) 1314.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  109. G. Martel, C. Labbe, F. Sanchez, M. Fromager, and K. Aït-Ameur: Opt. Commun. 201 (2002) 117.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  110. A. Hasnaoui and K. Aït-Ameur: Appl. Opt. 49 (2010) 4034.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  111. A. Hasnaoui, A. Bencheikh, and K. Aït-Ameur: Opt. Lasers Eng. 49 (2011) 248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  112. A. Hasnaoui, A. Bencheikh, M. Fromager, E. Cagniot, and K. Aït-Ameur: Opt. Commun. 284 (2011) 1331.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  113. E. Cagniot, M. Fromager, T. Godin, N. Passilly, and K. Aït-Ameur: J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 28 (2011) 1709.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  114. Y. Huang, P. Chiang, H. Liang, K. Su, and Y. Chen: Appl. Phys. B 105 (2011) 385.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  115. Q. Deng, H. Deng, and D. G. Deppe: Opt. Lett. 22 (1997) 463.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  116. S. Pereira, M. Willemsen, M. van Exter, and J. Woerdman: Appl. Phys. Lett. 73 (1998) 2239.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  117. I. Litvin, L. Burger, and A. Forbes: Opt. Express 15 (2007) 14065.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  118. L. Burger and A. Forbes: Opt. Express 16 (2008) 12707.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  119. S. Franke-Arnold, J. Leach, M. Padgett, V. Lembessis, D. Ellinas, A. Wright, J. Girkin, P. Ohberg, and A. S. Arnold: Opt. Express 15 (2007) 8619.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  120. S. Franke-Arnold, L. Allen, and M. Padgett: Laser Photonics Rev. 2 (2008) 299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  121. D. Naidoo, K. Aït-Ameur, M. Brunel, and A. Forbes: Appl. Phys. B 106 (2012) 683.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  122. Y. Senatsky, N. Bykovsky, M. Pyatakhin, Y. Sato, A. Shirakawa, and K. Ueda: Russian Patent 2239920 (2004).

  123. X. Deng, Y. Li, D. Fan, and Y. Qiu: Opt. Lett. 21 (1996) 1963.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  124. D. Naidoo, T. Godin, M. Fromager, E. Cagniot, N. Passilly, A. Forbes, and K. Aït-Ameur: Opt. Commun. 284 (2011) 5475.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  125. J. Kim, J. Mackenzie, J. R. Hayes, and W. A. Clarkson: Opt. Express 19 (2011) 14526.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  126. G. He, J. Guo, B. Wang, and Z. Jiao: Opt. Express 19 (2011) 18302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  127. K. Shimohira, Y. Kozawa, and S. Sato: Opt. Lett. 36 (2011) 4137.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  128. X. Hao, C. Kuang, T. Wang, and X. Liu: Opt. Lett. 35 (2010) 3928.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  129. X. Zhang, W. Wang, Y. Xie, P. Wang, Q. Kong, and Y. Ho: Opt. Commun. 281 (2008) 4103.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  130. C. Young, Y. Gilchrest, and B. Macon: Opt. Eng. 41 (2002) 1097.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  131. S. Chelkowski, S. Hild, and A. Freise: Phys. Rev. D 79 (2009) 122002.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yury Senatsky.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Senatsky, Y., Bisson, JF., Li, J. et al. Laguerre-Gaussian modes selection in diode-pumped solid-state lasers. OPT REV 19, 201–221 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10043-012-0032-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10043-012-0032-8

Keywords

Navigation