High efficiency, diode pumped 170 W Nd:YAG ceramic slab laser

A. Lapucci; M. Ciofini; M. Pucci; M. D’Uva

doi:10.2971/jeos.2011.11047

Journal of the European Optical Society - Rapid publications, Vol 6 (2011)

High efficiency, diode pumped 170 W Nd:YAG ceramic slab laser

A. Lapucci, M. Ciofini, M. Pucci, M. D’Uva

Abstract

A new thin-slab ceramic Nd:YAG laser is presented based on a novel zig-zag configuration. The slab is shaped in such a way that the beam propagates internally bouncing on the thin lateral faces (Edge zig-zag). Preliminary experiments have demonstrated a power extraction of 170 W (CW) at an optical conversion efficiency of 36%. Measurements have also been performed to assess the propagation properties, at least in the thinner transverse direction, of the beam extracted with a simple stable resonator. This laser format appears as a good competitor of the more traditional face-pumped or edge-pumped zig-zag slab laser schemes.

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