Excitation of high-radial-order Laguerre-Gaussian modes in a solid-state laser using lower-loss digitally controlled amplitude mask

Abstract

In this paper, we experimentally demonstrate selective excitation of highradial-order Laguerre-Gaussian (LGp or LGp;0) modes with radial-order, p = 1 - 4 and azimuthal-order, l = 0, using a diode-pump solid-state laser (DPSSL) that is digitally controlled using Spatial Light Modulator (SLM). We encoded amplitude mask containing p-absorbing rings, of various incompleteness (segmented), on greyscale computer generated digital holograms (CGDH), and displayed them on an SLM, that acted as an end mirror of the diode-pumped solid-state digital laser (DPSSDL). The various incomplete () p-absorbing rings were digitally encoded to match the zero intensity nulls of the desired LGp mode. We illustrate that the creation of LGp, for p = 1 to p = 4, only requires an incomplete circular p-absorbing ring that have a completeness of 37.5%, which makes the DPSSL resonator to have the lower pump threshold power, while maintaining the same laser characteristics (such as beam propagation properties).