Scaling diode-pumped, high energy picosecond lasers to kilowatt average powers

Abstract

Recent results in the development of diode-driven high energy, high repetition rate, picosecond lasers, including the demonstration of a cryogenic Yb:YAG active mirror amplifier that produces 1.5 J pulses at 500 Hz repetition rate (0.75 kW average power) are reviewed. These pulses are compressed resulting in the generation of ${\sim}5~\text{ps}$ duration, 1 J pulses with 0.5 kW average power. A full characterization of this high power cryogenic amplifier, including at-wavelength interferometry of the active region under ${>}1~\text{kW}$ average power pump conditions, is presented. An initial demonstration of operation at 1 kW average power (1 J, 1 kHz) is reported.

One Joule 500 Hz cryogenic Yb:YAG Laser Driver

“…We have begun testing a scaled CTD prototype 20 mm in aperture designed to amplify 0.5 ns chirped pulses to one joule at 500 Hz pulse repetition frequency. This level of performance is comparable to that reported in [2] however; obtained with only one gain-element in the power amplifier, with lower pump power. The one-joule-laserdriver in Fig.…”

Ultrafast thin-disk multipass amplifier with 720 mJ operating at kilohertz repetition rate for applications in atmospheric research

“…The combination of Joule-class pulse energies with kW-class average powers has recently been demonstrated with a multipass amplifier using cryogenically cooled laser crystals. Here, pulse energies up to 1.5 J were extracted at 500 to 1000 Hz [42]. However, due to the strongly narrowed emission cross section at cryogenic temperatures, pulse durations of such cryogenic systems are typically limited to durations of ∼4 ps [43].…”

A Yb:KGW dual-crystal regenerative amplifier

“…The Yb-ion has a long storage time, which is suitable for adopting a diode laser as a pump. Ytterbium-doped lasers have been developed to exhibit high pulse energy and power [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] .…”

“…Meanwhile, the Petawatt Energy Efficient Laser for Optical Plasma Experiments (PENELOPE) project with designed parameters of 150 J/150 fs/1 PW/1 Hz based on the Yb:CaF 2 crystal amplifier is under development [16] . Based on the Yb:YAG crystal, 1 J pulses with a pulse duration of 5 ps at 0.5 kHz were realized using a cryogenic Yb:YAG active mirror amplifier [17] . Moreover, 200 mJ 1.1 ps 5 kHz pulses were obtained using thin-disk laser technology [18] .…”