High-power dual-rod Yb:YAG laser

Progress towards high-power, high-brightness neodymium-based thin-disk lasers

“…By way of comparison, a dual long rod approach using the same gain medium (Yb:YAG) developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories [14] has demonstrated output powers of over 1 kW at an M-squared of 2.2. Although only half as efficient as a multiple gain element thin-disk laser delivering roughly the same power, its brightness is much improved at 841 W=mm 2 =sr; equivalent to a diffractionlimited system with an output power of 223 W.…”

Compact, High Brightness and High Repetition Rate Side-Diode-Pumped Yb:YAG Laser

“…Diode-pumped Yb:YAG lasers are a very attractive alternative to the lasers utilizing classical laser material such as Nd:YAG for reducing thermal effects and for scaling the Q-switched output power to the desired level. Yb:YAG has nearly four times less heat generation during lasing than comparable Nd:YAG laser systems [Bibeau et al, 1998, Honea et al, 2000, Rutherford et al, 2001, Goodno et al, 2001 due to a much smaller quantum defect in Yb 3+ . However, there are two shortcomings with Yb:YAG crystals related to a quasi-three-level nature of its laser transition.…”

“…A number of different approaches have been tried by other investigators for developing high power Yb:YAG lasers. Conventional rod lasers allow scaling to high average powers [Bibeau et al, 1998, Honea et al, 2000. But obtaining a good beam quality at high average power is a difficult task due to considerable stress-induced birefringent and a strong thermal lensing in laser rods.…”

2-kW Average Power CW Phase-Conjugate Solid-State Laser

“…Single-rod [4] and multipledisk [5] configurations have been reported with output powers >1 kW (but with significantly reduced power for operation with M 2 < 10). Two-rod [6] and slab [7] lasers operating at greater than 400 W have also been described. Finally, the "heat capacity laser" [8] reached record power of 31.3 kW, but only for 1-2 s of continuous operation, while operation for much longer times [9] was reported at 19 kW.…”