HIGH-AVERAGE-POWER FLASHLAMP-PUMPED ND-GLASS FIBER-BUNDLE LASER

Flashlamp-pumped high-gain fiber-bundle lasers consisting of multimode phosphate glass fibers have been investigated. By optimizing the fibe r number and the outcoupling reflectivity in dependence on the pump co nditions, high single-pulse energies in excess of 1 J as well as high- average-power extraction up to 100 W at a pulse repetition frequency o f 100 Hz could be obtained from slim fiber-bundle lasers. Fiber number s in the range of 150-250 and reflectivities between 35% and 50% have been found to provide reliable performance.