High Power Quasi-Cw And Cw Laser Diode Bar Arrays

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Abstract
Laser diode pumped, solid state lasers provide an efficient, compact, reliable, and stable source for many applications. We have previously demonstrated a diode pumped Nd:YAG slab laser that achieved over 100 mJ Q-switched output at 20 Hz with greater than 4% efficiency. Recent advances at MDAC-STL in laser diode performance and efficiency predict that over 10% is now achievable. In addition, we have demonstrated a five-fold increase in laser diode array peak power and an order of magnitude increase in array average power capability. Last year, we demonstrated a laser diode bar side-pumped, Nd:YAG rod laser with 2W cw fundamental mode output at 3% efficiency. We have recently extended cw pumping to two-dimensional laser diode bar arrays. We achieved over 50 W/cm2 cw operation from a 0.28 cm2, 2-D bar array with good efficiency. Array cooling was conductive to a water-cooled heat exchanger. This achievement lays the foundation for higher power cw, laser diode pumping of slab geometry lasers.© (1988) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

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