High-Power, High-Efficiency Tm:YAG and Ho:YAG Thin-Disk Lasers

Continuous-wave Tm:YAG and Ho:YAG thin-disk lasers with maximum optical-to-optical efficiencies of 41% and 58% respectively are presented. Pumped by a 780 nm laser diode, the Tm:YAG laser generated a maximum output power of 24 W. In comparison, the Ho:YAG laser, pumped by a fiber laser at 1908 nm, delivered a maximum output power of 50 W. The reported output powers are, to the best of our knowledge, the highest among all thin-disk lasers emitting at approximate to 2 m, and provide a solid foundation for the further development of next-generation 2 m thin-disk technologies.