Modeling of the zigzag amplifier with exact 3D pixel matching

摘要

A method of full 3D modeling is described for a zigzag amplifier—a challenging computational problem. In a typical configuration with ten side wall reflections, a complex 3D distribution of population inversion develops because of the overlap regions. Unlike modeling a conventional straight-through laser amplifier, the zigzag amplifier requires about three orders of magnitude greater computation. Seven coupled differential equations are solved for perhaps ten million gain points sufficiently robustly to treat the extremes of Q-switching. A method of exact pixel matching and Frantz-Nodvik theory allows the full 3D problem to be solved in a few seconds on an ordinary PC.