High-repetition-rate, high-average-power, diode-pumped 2.94-microm Er:YAG laser

We have demonstrated more than 3 W of average output power from a 2.94-mu;m quasi-cw diode-pumped total internal reflection (TIR) Er:YAG laser operating at 100 Hz with a 4% duty cycle. Moreover, repetition rates of up to 600 Hz at more than 1.2-W output power have been achieved. The cavity consists of a plane-mirror resonator of 40-mm length and uses three of five TIR regions within the laser crystal as pump facets to efficiently couple the pump energy into the resonant laser mode. Differential efficiencies of up to 18.3% have been achieved at an optimum pump pulse width in the range of 300 micros .