High‐power laser sources are widely used in industrial precision processing and act as a new platform for strong‐field physics research using peak power over petawatt. This review focuses on realizing high‐energy solid‐state disk and slab systems and the nonlinear‐suppression strategies for high‐power fiber systems using the functional fibers. First, the implementations and enabling technologies of the solid‐state lasers for increasing peak power from gigawatt to petawatt are reviewed. Then the mechanisms and suppression strategies of the deterioration effects (including stimulated Raman scattering, stimulated Brillouin scattering, and transverse mode instability) in various fiber amplifiers are analyzed. At the same time, the mechanism and achievements of the current functional fibers are introduced. Finally, the challenges and perspectives of high‐power solid‐state and fiber amplifiers are summarized.
High‐Power Laser Systems
In article number 2100741, Jiexi Zou and Xuechun Lin summarize the characteristics and key technologies of solid‐state lasers. In the cover design, three types of classic high‐power laser configurations have been integrated. A disk and multi‐slabs laser are distributed in tandem, and the beam lasing from the disk further penetrates through the slabs and amplifies. Although fiber lasers have an insufficient energy output capability, this can be compensated by beam combination strategy. In the future, these three will go hand in hand.
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