Demonstration of a compact 100 Hz, 01 J, diode-pumped picosecond laser

Abstract

We have demonstrated an all-diode-pumped Yb:YAG chirped pulse amplification laser that produces 100 mJ pulses of 5 ps duration at 100 Hz repetition rate. The compact laser system combines a room-temperature Yb:YAG regenerative amplifier for increased bandwidth and a cryogenically cooled Yb:YAG four-pass amplifier for improved heat dissipation and increased efficiency. The optical efficiency of this amplifier is higher than that of other diode-pumped systems of comparable energy.