LED-pumped Cr:LiSAF laser system operating at 100 Hz based on a multipass amplifier

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Technology
• Solid-State Lasers

Background:

• Traditional laser pumping methods face limitations in efficiency and scalability.
• Developing high-power laser systems requires innovative pumping architectures for improved performance.
• Master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) systems are crucial for generating high-energy laser pulses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a complete master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) system utilizing LED-pumping technology.
• To investigate the performance of a novel slab architecture for multipass laser amplification.
• To assess the scalability and stability of the MOPA system at various repetition rates.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a novel pumping head with a Cr:LiSAF slab integrated with blue LEDs and a Ce:YAG luminescent concentrator.
• Utilizing a multipass amplifier configuration enabling up to 22 passes.
• Characterization of laser pulse energy, gain, and performance stability at different repetition rates.

Main Results:

• The LED-pumped MOPA system achieved pulse energies up to 2.4 mJ at a 10-Hz repetition rate with a gain of 4.36 at 825 nm.
• The slab architecture facilitated efficient cooling and a large number of passes (22).
• Nearly constant MOPA performance was observed up to a repetition rate of 100 Hz.

Conclusions:

• LED-pumping technology is successfully demonstrated for a complete MOPA system, marking a significant advancement.
• The novel slab architecture provides efficient amplification and cooling, enabling high repetition rates.
• The developed MOPA system exhibits robust and stable performance, suitable for various high-power laser applications.