Scalable pumping approach for extracting the maximum TEM(00) solar laser power

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Physics
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Solar-pumped lasers offer a sustainable alternative for high-power laser generation.
• Achieving high beam quality (TEM(00)) from solar-pumped lasers is challenging due to non-uniform pumping.
• Scalability and efficiency are key limitations in current solar laser technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a scalable solar pumping approach for achieving high-power, high-brightness TEM(00) laser output.
• To enhance the mode matching between pump light and the laser medium.
• To numerically analyze the performance and brightness improvement of the proposed system.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Fresnel lens-folding mirror collectors and secondary concentrators with light guides for radiation homogenization.
• Employed hollow two-dimensional compound parabolic concentrators for efficient radiation concentration onto a Nd:YAG rod.
• Designed an asymmetric resonator for optimized pump-laser mode matching.
• Performed numerical analysis using ZEMAX and LASCAD software.

Main Results:

• Calculated a laser power of 59.1 W in TEM(00) mode.
• Achieved a 20-fold improvement in the brightness figure of merit.
• Demonstrated the effectiveness of the homogenization and concentration stages.

Conclusions:

• The proposed scalable solar pumping approach successfully generates high-power, high-brightness TEM(00) laser output.
• The system design overcomes previous limitations in mode matching and radiation uniformity.
• This work paves the way for more efficient and brighter solar-pumped laser systems.