Novel unstable resonator configuration for highly efficient cryogenically cooled Yb:YAG Q-switched laser

Jörg Körner, Sanin Zulić, Danijela Rostohar, Antonio Lucianetti, Tomáš Mocek

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

A novel method to shape the intensity distribution within an unstable laser cavity is demonstrated. This method is characterized by inscribing a tailored gain profile generated by a spatially tophat-shaped longitudinal pump beam into the gain medium. The mode shaping mechanism is still effective with zero output coupling. Therefore, this method enables to operate unstable laser cavities in cavity dump mode or as a regenerative amplifier. The theoretical background is described by means of geometrical optics, and operation of a prototype setup using cryogenically cooled Yb:YAG is demonstrated. The system produces 13 ns pulses with 285 mJ at a repetition rate of 10 Hz, with an extraction efficiency of 35 %. Successful cavity dump operation is demonstrated with 110 mJ output energy.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)21622-21634
Number of pages13
JournalOptics Express
Volume27
Issue number15
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 17 Jul 2019
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Open access CC-BY

Funder

European Regional Development Fund (CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/15_006/0000674); Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (739573); Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (LO1602, LM2015086).

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

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