High-power CW 1048 nm Yb:YAG Dual-Ended Diode-pumped zigzag slab Laser

We developed a high-power continuous-wave (CW) 1048 nm Yb:YAG laser oscillator with a folded cavity structure. Based on a surface gain slab structure of Yb:YAG, the CW laser output property of 1030 and 1048 nm wavelengths is theoretically analyzed. In order to achieve a CW single-wavelength laser output at 1048 nm, a high-power pump and the suppression of laser oscillations at other wavelengths were required. In our experi-ments at 4200 W of pump power, we obtained a maximum output power of 1330 W, with an optical-optical conversion efficiency of 31 %, a maximum slope efficiency of 46.4 % and a beam quality (beta) of 1.7 times the diffraction limit. We also proposed a laser oscillator. To the best of our knowledge, we obtained the highest power and beam quality for Yb:YAG laser oscillators at 1048 nm. This work could provide a useful platform for developing 1048 nm lasers with higher power and beam quality and increasing the accessibility of the 1048 nm regime.

Automated summary

We developed a high-power continuous-wave (CW) 1048 nm Yb:YAG laser oscillator with a folded cavity structure and achieved a maximum output power of 1330 W and a beam quality of 1.7 times the diffraction limit. This work provides a useful platform for developing 1048 nm lasers with higher power and beam quality.