Diode-pumped all-solid state lasers: solutions for scientific, biomedical, and industrial applications

Referring to the work carried out in our laboratory, we review low-medium power diode pumped all solid state laser systems for scientific, bio-medical and industrial applications. Side- and end-pumping are discussed and compared for such a laser systems. End-pumped scheme is mainly exploited in this report. Coupling solutions and cavity design are described emphasizing energy deposition and extraction optimization, thermal lens effects, beam quality control and longitudinal mode control. Both cw- and quasi-cw-pumped lasers are considered, operating either in continuous wave, passive Q-switching, and mode-locking regimes. Intracavity and extracavity harmonic generation, optical parametric generation and short pulse generation are among the aims of these all-solid-state sources: some result of these applications are reported.