1.14 kW peak power mid-infrared Er:YAG planar waveguide MOPA laser

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics
• Materials Science
• Photonics

Background:

• Erbium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Er:YAG) lasers are crucial for various applications.
• Planar waveguide lasers offer advantages in beam quality and efficiency.
• Previous research has not experimentally demonstrated a 2.94 µm planar waveguide laser using Er:YAG.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally demonstrate a quasi-continuous Er:YAG planar waveguide laser operating at 2.94 µm.
• To investigate the performance of such a laser in a master oscillator power amplification (MOPA) configuration.
• To explore the potential for improved laser performance with higher seed injection power.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a quasi-continuous Er:YAG planar waveguide laser.
• Employed a master oscillator power amplification (MOPA) configuration.
• Operated the laser at 2.94 µm with specific pump and seed parameters (400 µs pulse duration, 40 Hz repetition rate).

Main Results:

• Achieved a maximum output peak power of 1.14 kW with a seed injection peak power of 184.4 W.
• Total pump peak power reached 32.01 kW.
• Numerical simulations suggested that increased seed laser power could lead to enhanced laser performance.

Conclusions:

• This study presents the first experimental demonstration of a 2.94 µm planar waveguide laser utilizing an Er:YAG host material.
• The MOPA configuration proved effective for achieving high output power.
• Further optimization with higher seed power is recommended for improved laser efficiency.