Stripe pumping: an alternative to end-pumping

We describe here the use of high power, quasi-cw diode bars collimated with cylindrical micro-lenses to efficiently side-pump an Nd:LiYF/sub 4/ crystal such that the fundamental transverse mode of the resonator is automatically selected. This pumping scheme (stripe pumping) offers most of the advantages of end-pumping including high modal overlap, single transverse mode operation and Q switching.