Features of ASLD Version 6.2.
ASLD is a software to design and simulate solid-state laser resonators and amplifiers.
The following diagram shows an overview of the modules of ASLD:

1.ASLD FEA (Finite Element Analysis) and Gauss Mode Analysis
This module calculates thermal lensing effect inside a laser crystal. The result is used to calculate beam radius and stability of a laser resonator. The simulation includes:
-time dynamic temperature calculation,
-deformation, stress calculation,
-birefringence calculation,
-Jones matrix calculation for depolarization calculation,
-simulation of gain guiding effects.

2.ASLD DMA (Dynamic Mode Analysis)
This module calculates output power and beam quality of a laser resonator. Population inversion is discretized on a 3-dimensional finite volume grid such that mode competition of high and low order modes can be calculated. It includes
-3-level and 4-level rate equation calculation,
-simulation of up-conversion and energy transfer,
-simulation of intracavity frequency doubling,
-simulation of active and passive Q-switching.
-simulation of Pocklet’s cell as active Q-switch including polarization effect

3.ASLD Amplifier (amplifier simulation)
This module calculates laser amplification of cw-laser signals, short pulses, ultra-short pulses, and chirped pulse amplification. It includes
-beam quality calculation,
-far field calculation,
-output power calculation,
-pulse energy calculation.
The simulation techniques are
-Gauss beam amplification
-spectral method of plane waves and other FFT based methods

4.ASLD Raytracing (design and simulation of pump source)
This module can be used to design end and side pumping of laser crystals. Both, diode and flashlight pumping can be considered. It includes
-simulation of spectrum,
-simulation of saturation effects.

The pump light can be a pulsed pumping.
Simulation of pumplight using super-Gaussian functions is possible too.
The software contains a material data file for different laser crystals including absorption spectrum and wavelength and temperature dependent stimulated emission cross sections for certain crystals like Nd:YAG.

The software includes parallel computation until 6 cores in order to decrease computational time.