Beam Quality Management in Multi-Stage Side-Pumped Nd:YAG MOPA Laser Systems

One of the key issues of scientific feasibility experiments for fusion research is to construct a laser energy driver delivering enough output power for implosion. We have constructed a series of glass laser systems: Gekko II silicate glass laser (two-beam) 0.4 TW, Gekko IV phosphate glass laser (four-beam), 4 TW, and modules of Gekko XII, which will achieve 40 TW at full size. Laser glass is critical for delivering a large amount of power in a short duration without deterioration of the beam quality. Phosphate and fluorophosphate glasses have been investigated for an advanced laser design. Optical components have been developed which are expected to be very reliable. A system performance of lasers is also very important for experimental work.

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All-fiber millijoule energy and nanoseconds pulse operation of a high beam quality multi-stage pulse-pumped Yb-doped amplifier cascade

Laser Physics ◽

10.1134/s1054660x12030309 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

pp. 605-608 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

C. Zheng ◽

H. T. Zhang ◽

W. Y. Cheng ◽

M. Liu ◽

P. Yan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Beam Quality ◽

Pulse Operation ◽

High Beam ◽

Multi Stage ◽

High Beam Quality

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Method to improve beam quality by compensating spherical aberrations in master oscillator power amplifier laser systems

Applied Optics ◽

10.1364/ao.53.007963 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 53 (33) ◽

pp. 7963 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Zhibin Ye ◽

Yi Wang ◽

Zhigang Zhao ◽

Chong Liu ◽

Zhen Xiang

Keyword(s):

Power Amplifier ◽

Beam Quality ◽

Master Oscillator ◽

Master Oscillator Power Amplifier ◽

Laser Systems

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Improvements to the diagnostics of beam quality in cw and pulsed laser systems

Optics Communications ◽

10.1016/0030-4018(92)90163-l ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 89 (2-4) ◽

pp. 223-228 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Antonello Cutolo ◽

Luigi Zeni

Keyword(s):

Beam Quality ◽

Pulsed Laser ◽

Laser Systems

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Cryogenic nanosecond and picosecond high average and peak power (HAPP) pump lasers for ultrafast applications

High Power Laser Science and Engineering ◽

10.1017/hpl.2016.12 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

David C. Brown ◽

Sten Tornegård ◽

Joseph Kolis

Keyword(s):

Thermal Effects ◽

Peak Power ◽

Beam Quality ◽

Damage Threshold ◽

Nonlinear Effects ◽

Computer Code ◽

Laser Systems ◽

Laser Induced Damage ◽

Pump Lasers ◽

Important Design

Using cryogenic laser technology, it is now possible to design and demonstrate lasers that have concomitant high average and peak powers, with near-diffraction-limited beam quality. We refer to these new laser systems as HAPP lasers. In this paper, we review important laser crystal materials properties at cryogenic temperature, with an emphasis on Yb lasers, and discuss the important design considerations, including the laser-induced damage threshold, nonlinear effects and thermal effects. A comprehensive model is presented to describe diode pulsed pumping with arbitrary duration and repetition rate, and is used with the Frantz–Nodvik equation to describe, to first order, the performance of HAPP laser systems. A computer code with representative results is also described.

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