Open AccessHigh brightness continuous wave ceramic Yb:LuAG thin-disk laser
Author(s) -
Yuan Han Peng,
James Cheng,
Yan Ying Cheah,
Kin Seng Lai,
Ernest Lau,
Seok Khim Ang
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.23.019618
Subject(s) - materials science , ceramic , optics , resonator , laser , continuous wave , slope efficiency , output coupler , thin disk , solid state laser , transparent ceramics , optoelectronics , optical cavity , fiber laser , composite material , physics , stars , astronomy
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.