Potential of high-average-power solid state lasers

Abstract

We discuss the possibility of extending solid state laser technology to high average power and of improving the efficiency of such lasers sufficiently to make them reasonable candidates for a number of demanding applications. A variety of new design concepts, materials, and techniques have emerged over the past decade that, collectively, suggest that the traditional technical limitations on power (a few hundred watts or less) and efficiency (less than V%) can be removed. The core idea is configuring the laser medium in relatively thin, large-area plates, rather than using the traditional low-aspect-ratio rods or blocks. This presents a large surface area for cooling, and assures that deposited heat is relatively close to a cooled surface. It also minimizes the laser volume distorted by edge effects. The feasibility of such configurations is supported by recent developments in materials, fabrication processes, and optica! pumps. Two tvpes of lasers can, in principle, utilize this sheet-like gain configuration in such a way that phase and gain profiles are oniformh sampled and ID first order, vield high-quaiitv (undistorted) beams. The zigzag laser does this wi'h a single plate, and should be capable of power levels up to several kilowatts The disk laser is designed around a large number of plates, and should be capable m scaling to arbitrarily high powr levels.

Physics of Solid-State Laser Materials

“…High-power, single-wavelength, Nd lasers operating in the infrared and coupled to efficient harmonic sources may be used to drive optical parametric oscillators or other tunable solid-state lasers to further extend the spectral range covered. Therefore it seems that the development of better laser materials based on new ions and/or hosts to meet diversified requirements of new and demanding applications is highly desirable [1].…”

High average power harmonic generation

“…Although the development of high average power solid-state lasers has languished during the last two decades (with C 0 2 being the prime average power laser) they have recently begun to enjoy a renewed interest. One reason for this is the recent appearance of new applications for lasers, including those associated with military programs, and the Strategic Defense Initiative [13]. The average power requirement of these applications varies up to several orders of magnitude beyond the current state of the art in average power frequency conversion.…”

Wavelength Scaling of Laser Wakefield Acceleration for the EuPRAXIA Design Point

“…The physical architecture of the amplifier is similar to that used in SHARC and BAT designs. The gain medium comprises gas-cooled slabs [15,16] arranged into two main amplifier heads. The slabs are anti-reflection-coated for normal incidence light at both the pump and laser wavelengths.…”