The design and development of an efficient high average power dye lase
r oscillator-amplifier system developed at the Laser & Plasma Technolo
gy Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, is reported. The dye laser
is pumped by a 6.5-kHz repetition rate copper vapor laser. The signal
beam to the dye amplifier is obtained from an efficient narrow-band g
razing incidence grating (GIG) dye laser oscillator incorporating a mu
ltiple prism beam expander. Amplifier extraction efficiency up to 40%
was obtained in a single amplifier stage, using rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) in
ethanol. We have also demonstrated simultaneous amplification of two
laser beams at different wavelengths in the same dye amplifier cell.