High-power operation of diode edge-pumped, composite all-ceramic Yb:Y3Al5O12 microchip laser

A solid-state laser material of composite all-ceramic Yb:Y3Al5O12 is applied as a source of a high-power, diode edge-pumped microchip laser. 520W quasi-continuous-wave and 414W continuous-wave (cw) output powers were obtained from the 3.7-mm-diameter, Yb doped ceramic core with a 200μm thickness. The cw output power densities of 3.9kW∕cm2 and 0.19MW∕cm3 in the core area and volume, respectively, are the highest for an active-mirror solid-state laser. The maximum thermal stress in the ceramic core is estimated to be 384MPa at the noncooled surface and is twice the tensile strength of single-crystal Y3Al5O12.

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