Hundred-watt-level cryogenic near diffraction-limited composite thin-disk Ho:YLF oscillator at 2 µm

Area of Science:

• Laser Physics
• Materials Science

Background:

• High-power lasers are crucial for various applications.
• Developing efficient and high-quality laser sources remains an active research area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a high-power, near diffraction-limited laser output from a cryogenic Ho:YLF thin-disk oscillator.
• To investigate the spectroscopic properties of Ho:YLF at cryogenic temperatures.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a composite thin-disk oscillator design with Ho:YLF crystal.
• Integrated a multi-pass pumping configuration and cryogenic cooling (80 K).
• Systematically investigated spectroscopic properties like fluorescence lifetime and emission cross-section.

Main Results:

• Achieved a maximum output power of 128 W at 2 µm.
• Obtained a high optical efficiency of 62.5%.
• Measured near diffraction-limited beam quality with M² values of 1.55 and 1.46.

Conclusions:

• The cryogenic Ho:YLF thin-disk oscillator represents a significant advancement in high-power laser technology.
• The results demonstrate the potential of Ho:YLF for efficient, high-power laser generation at cryogenic temperatures.