A diode-pumped, continuous wave, Nd:YAG laser is a solid state laser commonly used in medicine, manufacturing, and research. The Nd:YAG laser is also interesting to study and analyze in college laboratories. One can characterize basic properties of the laser such as power versus diode current at various temperatures or study the more complex linear and nonlinear dynamics of the YAG laser under modulation.\ud
A Nd:YAG laser uses a crystal lasing medium. This medium is made by replacing some of the yttrium ions in a yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) with triply ionized neodymium, Nd(III). The laser commonly emits light at 1.06 µm.\ud
This experiment will consist of the design and construction of the laser apparatus as well as research about the laser physics behind the Nd:YAG
