大口径端泵片状放大器的泵浦耦合系统（英）

为了满足片状激光放大器对泵浦功率密度的要求,设计并加工了高缩束比的耦合系统。根据LD的发光特性,将输出功率为80 kW的LD阵列进行拟球面排列,采用正交柱面透镜配合空心导光管进行泵浦耦合,将发光面积为330 mm85 mm的泵浦光,在输出口处压缩至18 mm18 mm的口径,耦合系统的缩束比高达86∶1。模拟计算表明,该耦合系统的耦合效率对导光管反射板的反射率依赖性较低。实验测量该耦合系统的效率为84.2%,输出口处泵浦光场快慢轴的调制度分别为1.30和1.18,且脱离耦合系统后的泵浦光传输8.5 mm后,依然可以保持泵浦光场的轮廓。该耦合系统在效率、泵浦场均匀性、传输性等方面均满足端面泵浦的片状放大器对泵浦耦合系统的要求。     

大口径端泵片状放大器的泵浦耦合系统（英文）

为了满足片状激光放大器对泵浦功率密度的要求,设计并加工了高缩束比的耦合系统。根据LD的发光特性,将输出功率为80kW的LD阵列进行拟球面排列,采用正交柱面透镜配合空心导光管进行泵浦耦合,将发光面积为330 mm×85mm的泵浦光,在输出口处压缩至18mm×18mm的口径,耦合系统的缩束比高达86∶1。模拟计算表明,该耦合系统的耦合效率对导光管反射板的反射率依赖性较低。实验测量该耦合系统的效率为84.2%,输出口处泵浦光场快慢轴的调制度分别为1.30和1.18,且脱离耦合系统后的泵浦光传输8.5mm后,依然可以保持泵浦光场的轮廓。该耦合系统在效率、泵浦场均匀性、传输性等方面均满足端面泵浦的片状放大器对泵浦耦合系统的要求。     

激光二极管泵浦的重复频率大能量低温Yb:YAG激光器设计

为实现重复频率大能量激光输出,基于Yb:YAG激光介质低温下良好的热特性和激光特性,设计了12kW高功率激光二极管(LD)阵列泵浦的V型腔低温Yb:YAG激光器(液氮温度)。对于泵浦耦合系统和散热结构两个关键点,分别使用光线追迹方法和有限元方法进行了分析,提出了楔形真空窗口和低温热管等解决方案。模拟结果表明,该设计的激光器热效应较低,可实现重复频率大能量输出。     

LD端面泵浦变热导率方形Yb∶YAG微片晶体热效应

针对激光二极管端面泵浦方形Yb∶YAG微片晶体产生的热效应问题,运用半解析方法计算该晶体的温场分布。根据连续LD端面泵浦方形Yb∶YAG微片晶体的工作特性,建立符合实际工作情况的热模型,构造初始条件和边界条件。同时考虑到晶体的热导率是温度的函数,并结合牛顿法求解热传导方程,得到晶体温度场的一般解析表达式。定量分析了不同的泵浦功率、超高斯阶次、光斑半径、晶体厚度因素对变热导率方形Yb∶YAG微片晶体温度场的影响。结果表明:使用泵浦功率为80 W、超高斯阶次为1、光斑半径为400 m的泵浦光对含方形Yb∶YAG微片晶体质量分数为8.0%、晶体的尺寸为431 mm3进行泵浦,将晶体的热导率视为常量和变量时,泵浦端面获得的最大温升分别为41.25 ℃和52.14 ℃。研究结果对减小全固态Yb∶YAG晶体的热效应问题具有指导意义。     

Yb:YAG薄片激光器多通泵浦耦合系统设计与实验

 介绍了基于Yb:YAG薄片的16通泵浦耦合系统的设计方法,建立了泵浦系统的模型,对模型进行了模拟。以16通泵浦耦合系统为基础,通过微通道冷却,利用国产单片直径10 mm、厚度为250 μm、掺杂原子分数为10% 的Yb:YAG薄片进行了实验研究。在泵浦功率为69.5 W时,采用曲率半径为－800 mm的输出镜,获得了27 W的1 030 nm连续激光输出,光光转换效率为38.8%;采用曲率半径为－2 000 mm的输出镜,获得了18.65 W的1 030 nm连续激光输出,光束质量平分因子小于等于1.1,光光转换效率为26.8%。     

钛宝石泵浦的Yb:YAG晶体的激光性能

测量了Yb:YAG晶体的光谱特性,用Ar⁺离子泵浦钛宝石激光器作为泵浦源泵浦Yb:YAG晶体,采用平平腔设计,当输出耦合镜T_1.053μm=4.26%,泵浦功率为1410mW时,得到320mW1.053μm的高效CW激光输出,斜率效率为54%,外推阈值功率为203mW。     

低温Yb:YAG放大器增益与热畸变特性实验研究

为了研究低温条件下Yb:YAG放大器的增益和热特性,搭建了一套液氮冷却的低温放大器,开展了实验研究。测量了不同泵浦强度下的小信号增益以及低温和常温下的介质热致波前畸变。结果表明:低温条件下,可以用更少的泵浦能量得到高于常温的增益;常温下泵浦电流200A、脉冲宽度1200μs的小信号增益为1.59;低温下泵浦电流200A、脉冲宽度400μs的小信号增益为1.82,光光效率显著提高。自发辐射放大(ASE)问题在低温下更加显著,采用短脉冲泵浦有利于降低ASE的影响。低温的热管理效果较常温有显著提高,可以在更高的平均功率下运行。     

激光二极管端面泵浦Yb∶YAG薄片激光器的热效应

通过激光二极管端面泵浦Yb∶YAG薄片工作特点分析,建立了符合实际情况的热模型.热模型考虑了介质薄片具有端面绝热、周边恒温冷却、后端面镀膜达到充分利用泵浦光能量等特点.分析并建构了Poisson方程新的求解方法,得出了Yb∶YAG薄片内部温度场以及泵浦端面热形变场的一般解析表达式.理论研究结果表明:若激光二极管泵浦功率为20 W、耦合到薄片泵浦面的泵浦光高斯半径为250 μm时,长度3 mm、半径1.5 mm的5.0at.%Yd:YAG薄片泵浦端面的最高温升为44.5℃,最大热形变量为0.83 μm.     

LD泵浦Er,Yb∶glass板条多程放大器设计及热效应分析

设计了一种LD阵列泵浦的铒镱共掺磷酸盐玻璃(Er, Yb∶glass)板条放大器，通过多次折叠反射结构来提高能量提取效率，实现1.5μm波段较大能量的激光输出，激光放大增益可达35.29倍。基于稳态热传导理论，对所设计的Er, Yb∶glass板条放大器进行了热效应分析，建立了热力耦合模型，采用有限元方法比较不同参数条件下板条介质的热力学特性。结果表明通过提高板条宽厚比和减小泵浦光功率密度可以有效缓解热效应，在此基础上提出了一种补偿波前畸变的方法。     

LD泵浦Nd∶YAG微片激光器异常强度噪声研究

针对实验中发现LD泵浦Nd∶YAG微片激光器的三类异常强度噪声,其强度波动幅度达20%~30%,严重影响了系统的稳定性,从理论和实验上对这三类强度噪声的特性进行了研究,包括外部光回馈引入的功率波动,LD异常噪声向固体激光器的传递,端泵浦偏离引起的模式耦合等。就各类噪声来源分别提出了相应的消除方法,抑制了微片Nd∶YAG激光器输出功率噪声,改善了激光输出特性,满足了频差精密测量的需要。     

Effect of ytterbium concentration on cw Yb:YAG microchip laser performance at ambient temperature – Part II: Theoretical modeling

A theoretical model based on a quasi-four-level system is modified to investigate the effect of Yb concentration on performance of continuous-wave Yb:YAG microchip lasers by taking into account temperature-dependent thermal population distribution, temperature-dependent emission cross-section and concentration-dependent fluorescence lifetime, thermal loading, thermal conductivity, and thermal expansion coefficient. The local temperature rise in Yb:YAG crystal caused by the absorbed pump power plays an important role in the laser performance of Yb:YAG microchip lasers working at ambient temperature without actively cooling the sample. The output wavelengths dependent on output coupling, Yb concentration, and pump power level were analyzed quantitatively. The numerical simulation of Yb:YAG microchip lasers is in good agreement with experimental data. The optimized laser operation for Yb:YAG microchip lasers is proposed by varying the thickness and output coupling for different Yb concentrations. The effect of thermal lens, thermal deformation effect, and saturated inversion population distribution inside the Yb:YAG crystal on performance of heavy-doped Yb:YAG microchip lasers are also addressed. PACS 42.55.Xi; 42.70.Hj; 42.55.Rz     

Demonstration of a compact 100 Hz, 0.1 J, diode-pumped picosecond laser

We have demonstrated an all-diode-pumped Yb:YAG chirped pulse amplification laser that produces 100 mJ pulses of 5 ps duration at 100 Hz repetition rate. The compact laser system combines a room-temperature Yb:YAG regenerative amplifier for increased bandwidth and a cryogenically cooled Yb:YAG four-pass amplifier for improved heat dissipation and increased efficiency. The optical efficiency of this amplifier is higher than that of other diode-pumped systems of comparable energy.     

High-power dual-rod Yb:YAG laser

We describe a diode-pumped Yb:YAG laser that produces 1080 W of power cw with 27.5% optical optical efficiency and 532 W Q-switched with M(2)=2.2 and 17% optical-optical efficiency. The laser uses two composite Yb:YAG rods separated by a 90 degrees quartz rotator for bifocusing compensation. A microlensed diode array end pumps each rod, using a hollow lens duct for pump delivery. By changing resonator parameters we can adjust the fundamental mode size and the output beam quality. Using a flattened Gaussian intensity profile to calculate the mode-fill efficiency and clipping losses, we compare experimental data with modeled output power versus beam quality.     

LD端面泵浦变热导率圆片Yb∶YAG激光器的热效应

针对激光二极管端面泵浦圆片Yb∶YAG晶体产生的热效应问题,以实际工作特点为基础,通过热传导理论分析了热效应。分析了不同泵浦功率、超高斯阶次、光斑半径、晶体尺寸因素对变热导率圆片Yb∶YAG晶体温度场的影响。研究结果表明,使用泵浦功率为60W、超高斯阶次为5、光斑半径为400μm的泵浦光对含质量分数为8%、晶体半径为4mm、厚度为0.5mm的圆片Yb∶YAG晶体进行泵浦,在将晶体的热导率分别视为常量和变量时,泵浦端面获得的最大温升分别为52.15℃和59.51℃。根据计算结果,设计了适合的激光器热稳腔,能充分抑制激光器产生的热效应问题。     

Generation of 287 W, 5.5 ps pulses at 78 MHz repetition rate from a cryogenically cooled Yb:YAG amplifier seeded by a fiber chirped-pulse amplification system

We generate linearly polarized, 287 W average-power, 5.5 ps pulses using a cryogenically cooled Yb:YAG amplifier at a repetition rate of 78 MHz. An optical-to-optical efficiency of 41% is obtained at 700 W pump power. A 6 W, 0.4 nm bandwidth picosecond seed source at 1029 nm wavelength is constructed using a chirped-pulse fiber amplification chain based on chirped volume Bragg gratings. The combination of a fiber amplifier system and a cryogenically cooled Yb:YAG amplifier results in good spatial beam quality at large average power. Low nonlinear phase accumulation as small as 5.1 x 10(-3) rad in the bulk Yb:YAG amplifier supports power scalability to a > 10 kW level without being affected by self-phase modulation. This amplification system is well suited for pumping high-power high-repetition-rate optical parametric chirped-pulse amplifiers.     

Ti:Sapphire Pumped 10 at-% Yb:YAG Thin Chip with 320 mW CW laser output of 1.053 μm

We have developed an efficient room-temperature 10 at-% Yb:YAG thin chip (7 mm×7 mm×1 mm) laser operating at 1.053 μm pumped by a Ti-sapphire laser operating at 940 nm. 320 mW of output power was obtained for an absorbed pump power of 791 mW. The slope efficiency was 54%, and extrapolated threshold power was 203 mW.     

Highly efficient room-temperature Yb:YAG ceramic laser and regenerative amplifier

A room-temperature, diode-pumped, pulsed Yb:YAG ceramic free-running laser with a 78% slope efficiency has been demonstrated. It has been shown that fine tuning of the mode diameter to the diameter of the pumped volume with a ratio of the pump to the mode diameter of 0.6 is important for achieving maximum laser efficiency with a Gaussian-like beam profile. A regenerative Yb:YAG ceramic amplifier with a maximum output energy of 14.5 mJ and a super-Gaussian beam profile is demonstrated.     

A 61-mJ, 1-kHz cryogenic Yb: YAG laser amplifier

We report a diode-pumped rod-type Yb:YAG laser amplifier operating at 1 kHz. Cryogenic cooling method was adopted to make the Yb:YAG crystal work with four-level behavior. A single-frequency fiber laser acts as the seed in an actively Q-switched Yb:YAG oscillator. The resonator delivers 5.75-mJ pulses at 1 kHz with a pulse duration of approximately 40 ns. The pulses were amplified to 61 mJ in a four-pass rod-type Yb:YAG amplifier with optical-to-optical efficiency of 24% in the main amplifier. The M² parameter of the output laser is <1.4.