High-energy nanosecond radially polarized beam output from Nd:YAG amplifiers

Radially polarized laser beam amplification up to the 772 mJ using flash-lamp-pumped Nd:YAG amplifiers was demonstrated. In the experiments, a nanosecond radially polarized seed beam was converted from a conventional Q-switched Nd:YAG laser output with a polarization converter and then amplified with two Nd:YAG amplifier stages. A maximum amplification output energy up to 772 mJ was achieved at 10 Hz with a 10-ns pulse, corresponding to an amplification factor of 323%. Excellent conservation of polarization was also obtained during the amplification.