DIODE-ARRAY PUMPED KILOWATT LASER

The diode array pumped kilowatt laser (DAPKL) has demonstrated more th an an order of magnitude increase in brightness and average power for short pulse diode-pumped solid-state lasers since its inception in 199 1. Significant advances in component technology have been demonstrated , including development of a diffusion bonding process for producing l arge slabs of Nd:YAG laser material. Phase conjugation by stimulated B rillouin scattering (SBS) has been demonstrated with high reflectivity and fidelity in a simple focused geometry with input powers of 100 W. Pulse energies at 1.06 mu m of 10 J have been demonstrated with a bea m quality of 1.5 times diffraction limited at the 500-W level. An aver age power of 875 W at 100 Hz has been obtained. Efficient frequency do ubling with a record power of 165 W has been demonstrated with 5 J per pulse at 0.53 mu m Work is ongoing to enclose the system in a compact brassboard with improved performance and long term stability.