Stacked arrays as pumping modules for high-power cw Nd:YAG lasers

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Abstract
Diode pumping of solid state lasers promises many advantages compared with flashlamp pumping. Such as better efficiency, lower thermal stress, compact design, no high voltage and longer lifetime. In between several possibilities of pumping configurations direct coupling of laserdiodes and crystal seems to have the highest efficiency. Stacked arrays as pumping modules for Nd:YAG slab and rod lasers are investigated. The stack consists of 28 monolithic arrays mounted on copper microchannel coolers. The dimensions of the emitting area are 50 X 9 mm2 resulting in a maximum pump power density of 107 W/cm2. Using a slab crystal with dimensions of 3 X 16 X 65 mm3 and a doping concentration of 0.7 at% Nd, an output power of 140 W cw has been achieved. The optical efficiency has been 31%. With the same stacked array a rod of 50 mm length and 4 mm diameter has been pumped. The pump light has been concentrated into the rod by a cusp shape reflector. Using a stable resonator 170 W output power in free running operation and 100 W average power in high repetition rate Q-switch operation has been achieved.

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