Journal of Lasers, Optics & Photonics

Selective Excitation of Higher-radial-order Laguerre-Gaussian BeamsUsing a Solid-state Digital Laser

Abstract

Bell T and Ngcobo S

In this paper, we use a digital laser to generate high-radial-order Laguerre-Gaussian, LGp,0 modes by loading digital holograms on a phase-only spatial light modulator that act as an end mirror of a diode-end-pumped laser resonator. The digital holograms were encoded with an amplitude ring mask, which contained absorption rings that match the p-zeros of the Laguerre polynomial. We demonstrate the generation of high-quality LGp,0 modes with a mode volume that is directly proportional to the mode order, p. This work demonstrates the possible of using the digital laser as a tool for simulating optical elements that will be used in pursuing high brightness lasers.