The use and analysis of solid Fabry-Perot etalons for interferometry and laser control are discussed and supported with experimental data. Low angle scattering is found to be an important factor influencing finesse and peak transmission. Thermal tuning sensitivity and wedge-angle control with thermal gradients are analyzed and illustrated. Control of laser oscillations using a solid-state etalo...

Active control of the spectral and temporal output characteristics of solid-state lasers through use of MEMS scanning micromirrors is presented. A side-pumped Nd:YAG laser with two intracavity scanning micromirrors, enabling Qswitching operation with controllable pulse duration and pulse-on-demand capabilities, is investigated. Changing the actuation signal of one micromirror allows a variation...

The use of semiconductor diode lasers as pump sources for solid-state lasers was demonstrated as early as 1964.1 In the past few years the dramatic increase in output power of diode lasers 2 has made pumping of solid-state lasers practical. Recently it was shown that diode-laser-pumped Nd:YAG lasers offer advantages over lamp-pumped lasers, including high efficiency3 and good frequency stabilit...

The new regime of resonant nuclear photoexcitation rendered possible by x-ray free electron laser beams interacting with solid state targets is investigated theoretically. Our results unexpectedly show that secondary processes coupling nuclei to the atomic shell in the created cold high-density plasma can dominate direct photoexcitation. As an example we discuss the case of Mo isomer depletion ...