Concepts For Efficient High Power Solar Pumped Solid State Lasers

The direct conversion of sunlight into laser radiation might become a process of economic importance. The present report investigates the fundamental question of the energetic efficiencies obtainable with the presently known solid state laser materials. With respect to an optimization it seems advisable to design a combined laser-power plant system where the incident light is splitted into two parts, one of which, whose wavelength being adjusted to the absorption spectra of the special laser crystals, serves as the pumping source of the laser and the other part delivers its energy to a solar dynamic and/or a photovoltaic converter.