High-power diode-pumped cryogenically cooled Yb:CaF2 laser with extremely low quantum defect

Sandrine Ricaud (1) , Dimitris N. Papadopoulos (2, 1) , Alain Pellegrina (2, 1) , François Balembois (1) , Patrick Georges (1) , Antoine Courjaud (3) , Patrice Camy (4) , Jean-Louis Doualan (4) , Richard Moncorgé (4) , Frédéric Druon (1)

1 Laboratoire Charles Fabry de l'Institut d'Optique / Elsa
2 ILE - Institut de la Lumiére Extrême
3 Amplitude Systèmes
4 CIMAP - UMR 6252 - Centre de recherche sur les Ions, les MAtériaux et la Photonique

High-power diode-pumped laser operation at 992-993nm under a pumping wavelength of 981 of 986nm is demonstrated with Yb:CaF2 operating at cryogenic temperature (77K), leading to extremely low quantum defects of 1.2% and 0.7%, respectively. An average output power of 33Whas been produced with an optical efficiency of 35%. This represents, to the best of our knowledge, the best laser performance ever obtained at such low quantum defects on intense laser lines.

Domains: Physics [physics]; Physics [physics]; Optics [physics.optics]

Sandrine Ricaud, Dimitris N. Papadopoulos, Alain Pellegrina, François Balembois, Patrick Georges, et al.. High-power diode-pumped cryogenically cooled Yb:CaF2 laser with extremely low quantum defect. Optics Letters, 2011, 36 (9), pp.1602-1605. ⟨hal-00588873⟩