69-W-average-power Yb:YAG laser

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optics and Photonics
• Solid-State Physics

Background:

• High-power lasers are crucial for various scientific and industrial applications.
• Ytterbium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Yb:YAG) lasers offer advantages in efficiency and thermal management.
• Diode-pumping provides a compact and efficient excitation method for lasers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To achieve record-breaking quasi-continuous-wave (quasi-cw) output power from an InGaAs diode-pumped Yb:YAG laser.
• To demonstrate the potential of a novel laser head design for high-power laser systems.
• To evaluate the performance of a master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) configuration.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) laser diode for pumping the Yb:YAG gain medium.
• Employed a specifically designed laser head integrated into a master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) setup.
• Operated the MOPA system at a high pump power of 3 kW.

Main Results:

• Achieved a quasi-cw output power of 150 W, the highest reported to date for this laser configuration.
• Recorded an average output power of 69 W.
• Delivered a pulse energy of 250 mJ.

Conclusions:

• The developed InGaAs diode-pumped Yb:YAG laser system demonstrates unprecedented quasi-cw output power.
• The novel laser head design is effective for high-power MOPA operation.
• This advancement paves the way for more powerful solid-state laser sources.