1.4-kW Nd:YAG slab laser with a diffusive closed-coupled pump cavity

Area of Science:

• Lasers and Photonics
• Materials Science
• Optical Engineering

Background:

• Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Nd:YAG) lasers are crucial for various industrial and scientific applications.
• Improving the power and efficiency of lamp-pumped Nd:YAG slab lasers remains an active area of research.
• Previous designs faced limitations in output power and power density.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-power, high-efficiency lamp-pumped Nd:YAG slab laser.
• To investigate the performance of a novel diffusive-closed coupled lamp pump cavity.
• To achieve record-breaking output power and power per unit volume.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a novel diffusive-closed coupled lamp pump cavity design.
• Operated the Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Nd:YAG) slab laser in continuous wave (cw) and pulsed modes.
• Measured output power, slope efficiency, and output power per unit volume.

Main Results:

• Achieved 1.45 kW output power with 5.0% slope efficiency in cw-mode operation.
• Obtained 1.4 kW output power with 4.3% slope efficiency in pulsed-mode operation (50 pulses/s, 25% duty).
• Reached an output power per unit volume of 45 W/cm³.

Conclusions:

• The novel lamp pump cavity design significantly enhances laser performance.
• The developed single-head Nd:YAG slab laser demonstrates the highest reported output power and power per unit volume for its class.
• This advancement offers potential for more compact and powerful laser systems.