28W average power hydrocarbon-free rubidium diode pumped alkali laser

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics
• Quantum Optics
• Materials Science

Background:

• High-power lasers are crucial for various scientific and industrial applications.
• Existing rubidium laser technologies face limitations in power scalability and thermal management.
• Hydrocarbon contamination can degrade laser performance and longevity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-power, scalable, and hydrocarbon-free rubidium laser.
• To investigate the efficacy of a liquid-cooled copper waveguide for thermal management.
• To evaluate the performance of the laser using different helium isotopes as buffer gases.

Main Methods:

• Experimental setup utilizing a liquid-cooled copper waveguide for pump light guiding and heat dissipation.
• A diode laser stack with volume Bragg gratings for linewidth narrowing (~0.35 nm) to pump the rubidium cell.
• Operation with 4 atmospheres of natural helium (4He) and 2.8 atmospheres of 3He as buffer gases.

Main Results:

• Achieved 24W average output power using natural helium (4He).
• Achieved 28W average output power using 3He.
• Demonstrated a scalable architecture for high-power laser development.

Conclusions:

• The developed rubidium laser architecture is effective for high-power generation.
• The liquid-cooled copper waveguide design efficiently manages heat.
• The use of 3He as a buffer gas resulted in higher output power compared to 4He.