Liquid-cooled Ti:Sapphire thin disk amplifiers for high average power 100-TW systems

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics
• Optical Engineering
• Thermal Management

Background:

• High-power laser systems require efficient thermal management.
• Thin disk (TD) laser technology offers potential for high energy extraction.
• Direct water cooling is a key factor in managing heat loads.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate numerical heat transfer in direct water-cooled TD Ti:Sapphire (Ti:Sa) gain modules.
• To assess the feasibility of achieving 100-TW class amplifiers with high average power.
• To explore advanced cooling strategies for scaling laser power.

Main Methods:

• Numerical simulations of heat transfer.
• Analysis of single and double-sided cooling configurations.
• Investigation of various coolant flow velocities.

Main Results:

• Simulations indicate the potential for 100-TW class amplifiers at ~300 W average power using TD and extraction during pumping (EDP).
• Evaluated performance of different cooling arrangements and flow rates.
• Upscaled simulations for multi-kilowatt average power with large aperture and multiple Ti:Sa disks.

Conclusions:

• Direct water cooling is effective for TD Ti:Sa amplifiers.
• The TD technique combined with EDP is promising for high-power laser development.
• Further research into multi-disk and large-aperture configurations is warranted for kilowatt-level power.