High-Power Fundamental Mode Single-Frequency Laser

The first results on an injection-locked high-power Nd:YAG ring laser with 195W single frequency output power in a stable linearly polarized fundamental mode operation for the next generation of gravitational wave detectors will be presented. ©2004 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: (140.3520) Lasers, injection-locked; (140.3570) Lasers, single-mode Introduction For the fundamental research of gravitational wave detection a specific laser source is needed to achieve a detector sensitivity of 10. Therefore, a stable and low-noise fundamental mode, single frequency laser with an output power of nearly 200W has to be realized [1,2]. Beside high amplitudeand frequency-stability the long-term stability and an easy maintenance has to be taken into account. We present the first injection-locked high-power ring laser with a single frequency output power of 195W in a stable linearly polarized fundamental mode operation. Fig.1: Setup of the injection-locked high-power laser. HP-FI: High power isolator with thermal lens and birefringence compensation. Pound-Drever-Hall locking-electronic LIGO-P040053-00-R