Abstract

The conceptual characteristics of a solid-state laser architecture that promises to provide appropriate characteristics for high average power (MW scale) solid-state lasers, such as those desired for Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) applications, was first outlined in the early 1980's by J. Emmett, B. Krupke, and J. Trenholme.¹ This design employed a solid-state gain medium that was optically pumped and extracted as well as gas-cooled through the large aperture of a slab. Experimental work was then pursued severa1 years later, when Albrecht, Sutton and co-workers explored this new strategy for cooling solid-state amplifier-slabs with resistive-electrical surface heaters.² Yb:Sr₅(PO₄)₃F(Yb:S-FAP) was discovered and found to be an efficient energy storage gain media and to possess other properties well-suited to a high efficiency rep-rated operation.³ The emergence of high power diode arrays provided the final ingredient needed to build an efficient gas-cooled-slab (GCS) diode-pumped solid-state laser (DPSSL). Orth and co-workers conceptually assembled these advances to describe the potential performance of a MJ scale GCS DPSSL within the laser-driven fusion-energy context.⁴ A Yb:S-FAP DPSSL was previously demonstrated that had 12% electrical to optical slope efficiencies without the complications of active colling.⁵ We report here the first results for a gas-cooled-slab laser device.

© 1996 Optical Society of America