Ultrahigh-average-power diode-pumped Nd:YAG and Yb:YAG lasers

Author

Brown, David C.

Author_Institution

Renaissance Lasers, Brackney, PA, USA

Volume

33

Issue

5

fYear

1997

fDate

5/1/1997 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

861

Lastpage

873

Abstract

Yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) possesses thermal and mechanical properties that vary significantly with temperature. We show that when temperature variations are accounted for the simple scaling relationships traditionally used for high-average-power performance predictions fail. We have also found that for room temperature and below, and with uniform heat deposition in a rod, nonquadratic radial temperature profiles result and the magnitude of the thermally induced stresses are seriously underestimated. New nonlinear scaling relationships are presented that properly account for YAG materials property variations with temperature. These results are applied to diode-pumped Nd:YAG and Yb:YAG lasers operating at room temperature and 77 K; we show that significant increases in average power output are possible by operating Nd:YAG and Yb:YAG lasers at 77 K

Keywords

laser beams; mechanical properties; neodymium; optical pumping; solid lasers; temperature distribution; thermal properties; thermal stresses; ytterbium; 298 K; 77 K; Nd:YAG laser; YAG:Nd; YAG:Yb; YAl5O12:Nd; YAl5O12:Yb; Yb:YAG laser; average power output; high-average-power performance predictions; mechanical properties; nonlinear scaling relationships; nonquadratic radial temperature profiles; rod; room temperature; simple scaling relationships; temperature variations; thermal properties; thermally induced stresses; ultrahigh-average-power diode-pumped lasers; uniform heat deposition; Crystalline materials; Diodes; Laser modes; Mechanical factors; Optical materials; Optical resonators; Power lasers; Solid lasers; Temperature distribution; Thermal stresses;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9197

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/3.572162

Filename

572162