G. H. Kim, J. H. Yang, B. Lee, E. G. Sall, S. A. Chizhov, V. E. Yashin, U. Kang, “Investigation of diode-pump absorption efficiency and thermo-optical effects in a high-power Yb:KGW laser”, Kvantovaya Elektronika, 2015, Volume 45, Number 3,Pages <nobr>211

This article is cited in 3 papers

Lasers

Investigation of diode-pump absorption efficiency and thermo-optical effects in a high-power Yb:KGW laser

G. H. Kim^a, J. H. Yang^a, B. Lee^a, E. G. Sall^a, S. A. Chizhov^a, V. E. Yashin^b, U. Kang^a

^a Russia Science Seoul Center
^b Institute of Laser Physics of the S. I. Vavilov State Optical Institute, St. Peterburg

Abstract: Diode-pump absorption is experimentally studied in a high-power Yb:KGd(WO₄)₂ (Yb:KGW) laser in the presence and absence of lasing. The maximum absorption efficiency in the cw regime exceeds 77% which is by a factor of 1.4 greater than the maximum absorption efficiency in the absence of lasing. The powers of thermo-optical lenses induced in laser crystals during lasing are measured. A strong dependence of the lens power and aberrations on the orientation of laser crystals relative to the propagation direction and polarisation is confirmed.

Keywords: solid-state laser, Yb:KGW, optical pumping, pump power, laser diodes, absorption, output power.

PACS: 42.55.Px, 42.60.Jf, 42.55.Xi

Received: 29.09.2014
Revised: 30.10.2014