Improved phase-locking of laser arrays by pump shaping

Area of Science:

• Laser physics and optical engineering
• Coherent beam combining technologies

Background:

• End-pumped laser arrays are crucial for high-power laser generation.
• Achieving high-quality phase-locking and long durations remains a challenge.
• Uniform pumping often leads to suboptimal efficiency and phase stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a precise pump beam shaping method for end-pumped laser arrays.
• To enhance phase-locking quality and duration.
• To improve lasing efficiency and reduce threshold pump power.

Main Methods:

• Developed a technique to precisely shape the pump beam for optimal overlap with the laser array.
• Employed a method to shape a highly incoherent laser beam by enhancing local spatial coherence in smaller segments.
• Investigated the impact of shaped pumping on laser array performance.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a significant improvement in lasing efficiency.
• Reduced the pump power required to reach the lasing threshold compared to uniform pumping.
• Achieved a remarkable increase in laser array output brightness by up to a factor of 10.
• Observed a substantial extension in the phase-locking duration.

Conclusions:

• Precise pump beam shaping is an effective strategy for enhancing end-pumped laser array performance.
• The proposed method offers a pathway to significantly higher brightness and improved phase stability.
• This technique provides a valuable tool for advancing high-power laser systems.