High power disk lasers: advantages and prospects

Abstract

Abstract:The mono-module disk laser concept is an effective design for diode-pumped solid-state lasers, which allows the realization of lasers with super-high output power, having very good efficiency and also excellent beam quality. Since the first demonstration of the principle in 1966 [1] the output power of mono-module disk has been increased to the level of few kW in continuous wave (CW) mode of operation. "Zig-Zag" disk laser geometry does not look like as a perspective one for further output parameters growing. The scaling laws for mono-module disk laser design show that the limits for CW mode of operation is far beyond 100 kW for output power and the energy can be higher than 100 J in pulsed mode of operation. Due to the efficient porous cooling technology and possibility of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) suppression the operation of the mono-module disk laser geometry is possible in CW and pulse-periodical (P-P) modes at extremely high output power.

Mono-module Disk Laser

“…Such a lens deteriorates the directivity of the output and significantly limits the effectiveness of its action. The thin 15.2 Disk and Fiber Lasers disk, in contrast, is cooled through a thin contact region on one side and generates a one-dimensional axial heat flow on the other side. As a result, the temperature gradient is distributed parallel to the laser beam, which does not result in the thermal lens effect.…”

“…It is well known that the disk geometry of a laser was proposed 51 years ago [11], but only now the solution to the problem of the ASE suppression with increasing transverse dimensions of the active medium in the mono-module disk geometry is found! Thus, the prospects of new versions of the mono-module disk laser creation for new class of cutting edge problems of our days are open [12][13][14][15]…”