Abstract:The development of kW-class diode-pumped picosecond laser sources emitting at various wavelengths started at the HiLASE Center four years ago. A 500-W Perla C thin-disk laser with a diffraction limited beam and repetition rate of 50-100 kHz, a frequency conversion to mid-infrared (mid-IR), and second to fifth harmonic frequencies was demonstrated. We present an updated review on the progress in the development of compact picosecond and femtosecond high average power radiation sources covering the ultraviolet (UV) to mid-IR spectral range at the HiLASE Center. We also report on thin-disk manufacturing by atomic diffusion bonding, which is a crucial technology for future high-power laser development.

No abstract

We report on the characterization of a high-power, chirped volume Bragg grating (CVBG) pulse compressor. It includes measurements of the CVBG’s diffraction efficiency, beam profile, beam quality ( M 2 parameter), pulse spectrum, the CVBG’s temperature, and the thermal lens. These parameters were monitored for a wide range of input laser powers and with different clamping forces applied on the CVBG. This analysis was performed with a CPA-based Yb:YAG thin-disk laser system operating at a wavelength of 1030 nm, a 92 kHz repetition rate, 2 ps pulse duration, and an average output power after compression of 216 W (270 W uncompressed), which is, to the best of our knowledge, the highest value reported to date using this pulse compression technique.

Many different fields benefit from the usage of light sources emitting in the mid-infrared wavelength range (2–10 µm). A rising need for precise and fast sources in the mid infrared (mid-IR) is reflected in the development of a high-power, picosecond mid-IR source capable of generation at high repetition rates. In this work, we present the optimization of an optical parametric generator, pumped by a 3 W portion of total power of the Yb:YAG thin-disk laser (1.3 ps, 90 kHz, 90 W) by comparing a single-pass and double-pass arrangement output parameters in terms of output power dependences on input power, efficiency, beam profiles, stability, and spectra. The output tunability of both arrangements spanned from 1459 nm to 2891 nm, with the upper limit being influenced by the limited transmission of the dichroic components used in the setup above 2700 nm. It was shown that the double-pass arrangement increases the output power, from 17 mW in the single-pass arrangement to 193 mW in the double-pass arrangement at 1459 nm, resulting in over ten-fold output power increase.