Researchers from the HiLASE Centre in the Czech Republic, along with collaborators from Japan and Poland, have developed a comprehensive theoretical model that unifies several key aspects of multi-pass pumped thin-disk lasers. This model integrates pump absorption, gain saturation, thermo-optic distortion, and cavity diffraction into a single, self-consistent framework.
The team, led by Hanjin Jo and including Jiří Mužík, Pawel Sikocinski, Magdalena Sawicka-Chyla, Michal Chyla, Yuya Koshiba, Yoann Levy, Kohei Hashimoto, Martin Smrž, and Tomáš Mocek, focused on understanding the complex interactions within these high-power lasers. Their work, published in the journal Optics Express, provides a significant advancement in the field of laser technology.
The researchers derived a theoretical formulation that describes the nonlinear coupling of pump energy and effective absorption. This formulation proves the existence of a unique steady-state solution for these lasers. By applying this framework to a multi-pass Yb:YAG thin-disk module, the team was able to validate their model experimentally. The results showed a strong correlation with experimental data, accurately reproducing absorption tendencies, output power, beam diameter, and beam quality (M^2) with errors within 3.0%, 1.7%, and 0.05 respectively.
This unified model offers practical applications for the energy sector, particularly in the development of high-power lasers. The predictive guidelines provided by the model can aid in pump-power scaling and pass-number optimization, which are crucial for enhancing the efficiency and performance of industrial lasers. These lasers are widely used in various energy-related applications, including material processing, solar cell manufacturing, and nuclear fusion research.
The research highlights the importance of understanding the intricate dynamics within laser systems to improve their design and functionality. By offering a more accurate and comprehensive model, the team has paved the way for advancements in laser technology that could benefit numerous industries, including the energy sector.
Source: Optics Express, Volume 30, Issue 12, pp. 20124-20141 (2022)
This article is based on research available at arXiv.