Q-switched Nd:YAG optical vortex lasers.

Q-switched operation of a high-quality Nd:YAG optical vortex laser with the first order Laguerre-Gaussian mode and well-determined helical wavefronts using a fiber-based pump beam conditioning scheme is reported. A simple two-mirror resonator incorporating an acousto-optic Q-switch was employed, along with an etalon and a Brewster plate to enforce the particular helicity of the output. The laser yielded Q-switched pulses with ~250 μJ pulse energy and ~33 ns pulse duration (FWHM) at a 0.1 kHz repetition rate for 5.1 W of absorbed pump power. The handedness of the helical wavefronts was preserved regardless of the repetition rates. The prospects of further power scaling and improved laser performance are discussed.