Analysis on Beam Quality of Solid-State Tube MOPA System With Zigzag Beam Path

All-solid-state tube lasers (ASSTLs) with zigzag beam path combine the attractive properties of rod, slab, and disk lasers. However, the analysis on the beam quality of tube lasers is rarely reported. In order to explore how and how seriously the static errors including fabricating and alignment errors degrade the beam quality of a tube laser, a theoretical model of a nonideal ASSTLs constructed in master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) configuration has been built up by taking the static errors into consideration. On the basis, the influence of the fabricating and alignment errors on the static beam quality of the ASSTLs was analyzed in detail, and the annular aberration of the output beam was discussed as well. Simulation results indicate that the static beam quality of tube lasers strongly depends on the fabricating and alignment errors. These static errors would severely degrade the output beam quality of the ASSTLs and even result in coma and defocus aberrations. This work may provide valuable references for the design, processing, and applications of ASSTLs.