Erbium-based gas-cooled disk laser

Abstract

We report on a novel resonantly-pumped, erbium (Er)-based, gas-cooled disk laser (GCDL) scalable to highaverage power (HAP). The GCDL uses edge-pumped composite laser disks known for their near perfect pump uniformity and compact configuration. Edge pumping enables a long path for pump absorption, which permits using low Er concentration and limits upconversion losses. Resonant operation reduces the waste heat load and enables the use of gas rather than liquid for disk cooling. These attributes make it possible to engineer a lightweight and compact laser device operating at eye-safer wavelengths. This paper presents a GCDL concept design and evaluates its performance for several host materials and operating conditions.