Resonantly-diode-pumped 1645 nm Er:YAG MOPA laser with 4-pass amplifier

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Erbium-doped lasers are crucial for various applications.
• Developing high-power, efficient laser systems remains a key research area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate an Er:YAG master-oscillator (MO)/power amplifier (PA) laser system.
• To analyze the performance of a dual-end pumped, 4-pass, zig-zag, slab amplifier.

Main Methods:

• Experimental and theoretical investigation of the Er:YAG MOPA system.
• In-band diode-pumping of both the Q-switched MO and PA at 1532 nm.
• Utilizing a seed pulse energy of 17 mJ from the MO.

Main Results:

• The MOPA system generated 70 mJ pulses with an 80 ns duration at 1 kHz pulse repetition frequency (PRF).
• Achieved an average output power of 70 W at 1645 nm.
• Demonstrated efficient energy extraction and amplification.

Conclusions:

• The developed Er:YAG MOPA system offers high average power output.
• The dual-end pumped zig-zag slab amplifier design is effective for high-power laser generation.
• This system shows potential for applications requiring high-energy, pulsed laser sources.