Amplification of radially polarized ultra-short pulsed radiation to average output powers exceeding 250 W in a compact single-stage Yb:YAG single-crystal fiber amplifier

A simple and compact single-stage Yb:YAG single-crystal fiber amplifier was setup to amplify 784 fs long seed pulses to an output energy of 6 mu J and an average output power of 290 W. The experimental results are verified by numerical models to estimate the limitations of the SCF technology with regards to beam quality and average output power.