We present a 120-W cw diode-pumped Tm:YAG laser. The Tm:YAG rod is side pumped by three diode arrays whose radiation is coupled through compound parabolic concentrators. The maximum optical-to-optical conversion efficiency of the 2.02-mum laser output is 25.2%, with a slope efficiency of 31.2%.

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A wavelength-dependent polarization rotator is used to transform the orthogonal polarizations of the signal and idler of a near-degenerate type II KTP optical parametric oscillator (OPO) into a common polarization state. This common polarization allows a single ZnGeP2 OPO to fully utilize the 2 microm signal and idler KTP OPO outputs in a mid-IR conversion. The simple design of the wavelength-dependent polarization rotator yields a compact source that simultaneously generates four mid-JR wavelengths collinearly with a total mid-IR average power of 5.5 W at a >15 kHz pulse repetition rate.

We report on an intracavity optical parametric oscillator (OPO) placed within a compact diode-pumped Nd:YALO laser cavity. This OPO utilizes a pair of KTP crystals, which are diffusion bonded together in a walk-off-compensated configuration. We have generated up to 21.4 W of 2-mum radiation, operating in a few-kilohertz range.

We report on a ceramic Yb:LuAG thin-disk laser in continuous wave operation. The Yb:LuAG ceramic was fabricated using solid-state reactive sintering method. In multi-mode operation in open-air, an output power of 1.74 kW with an optical-to-optical efficiency of 65.0% and slope efficiency of 71.2% was obtained. In near-fundamental mode operation we obtained an output power of 1.29 kW and an average beam quality factor of M2 = 1.44 with an optical-to-optical efficiency of 48.2%. The near-fundamental mode result was realized with a simple evacuated, stable resonator cavity with just the thin-disk gain medium and output coupler. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is not only the first time more than 1 kW has been demonstrated from a ceramic Yb:LuAG medium, but this is also currently the brightest continuous wave Yb-doped ceramic laser.