8.4mJ, 10kHz, 3.6ns, Nd:YVO₄ slab amplifier

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Physics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Development of high-energy pulsed laser systems is crucial for various scientific and industrial applications.
• Diode-pumped solid-state lasers offer advantages in efficiency and compactness.
• Nd:YVO4 crystal is a well-established gain medium for laser development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a diode-pumped nanosecond eight-pass amplifier utilizing Nd:YVO4 crystal.
• To achieve high pulse energy amplification by optimizing the laser cavity design.
• To evaluate the performance characteristics, including efficiency and beam quality.

Main Methods:

• A wedged multi-folded configuration with two plane mirrors was employed for the eight-pass amplification.
• Direct pumping and an Innoslab structure were integrated for efficient energy transfer.
• Q-switched seed pulses at 10kHz repetition frequency were amplified using a 330W pump source.

Main Results:

• The amplifier successfully amplified 0.4mJ Q-switched seed pulses to 8.4mJ output energy.
• An impressive optical-to-optical efficiency of 29.8% was achieved.
• Excellent beam quality was confirmed with M2 factors of 1.48 (horizontal) and 1.39 (vertical).
• No significant amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) was observed.

Conclusions:

• The developed diode-pumped nanosecond eight-pass amplifier demonstrates a highly efficient and effective method for generating high-energy laser pulses.
• The optimized Innoslab structure and cavity design contribute to superior beam quality and high efficiency.
• This laser system shows great potential for applications requiring high-power, nanosecond pulsed lasers.