Performance of a CW pumped Nd:YVO4 amplifier with kHz pulses

Until recently, simple and reliable high repetition-rate laser sources with nanosecond pulses much shorter than from conventional A-O Q-switch lasers were not available. However over the past 2 years we have developed such lasers based on proprietary fast E-O switching technology, which allows designs delivering 1 ns pulses and subnanosecond jitter for good synchronisation. The technology provides pulses with multi-kW peak power and repetition-rates to >100 kHz.Most recently, the performance of these short pulse lasers has been developed further by implementing oscillator/amplifier (master oscillator and power amplifier, MOPA) technology which increases the output to >1 W average power. Here we report on a simple model that has been used to predict the performance of the CW pumped Nd:YVO₄ amplifier used in the MOPA laser. The model is based on the well-known expressions for the saturated gain applying to laser pulses, but more usually applied to pulse-excited amplifiers. The model is shown to allow a good interpretation of the amplifier behaviour for kHz pulses and to be a useful tool for predicting the performance of the MOPA laser.     

高效率激光二极管泵浦100 Hz 3.5 J Nd∶YAG MOPA激光器

研制了结构简单、高效率激光二极管泵浦Nd∶YAGM0PA激光器.振荡级输出单脉冲能量1.13 J,重复频率为100HZ.MOPA系统输出最大单脉冲能量2.35 J,光-光转换效率为39%.实验结果和理论计算符合较好.     

高功率准分子激光主振荡功率放大系统光学元件的稳定性

为了分析高功率准分子激光主振荡功率放大(MOPA)系统中各光学元件稳定性对靶面光斑定位精度的影响,建立了分析模型,利用分析结果指导高稳定性镜架设计以满足系统实验需求。根据高功率准分子激光MOPA系统特点,有效地简化了系统光路,建立了系统光路模型;按照系统打靶精度要求,利用三维坐标变换和光线追迹法,计算得到了系统单个光学元件稳定性对靶面光斑定位精度的影响规律;最后,对自行设计的镜架进行了稳定性测量。计算结果表明,反射镜的旋转变化和透镜垂直光轴的平移变化是影响靶面光斑定位精度的主要因素,且主放大光路中反射镜在X方向和Y方向上最大的变化范围分别不能超过0.8和1.6μrad。实际测量结果表明,设计的镜架在X方向和Y方向最大的变化范围分别为0.6和0.81μrad,满足系统实验要求。     

二极管泵浦Nd:YAG板条双通放大器技术研究

对二极管泵浦NdYAG板条双通放大器进行了理论设计和数值计算.在注入能量1 mJ,小信号增益为0.23 cm-1时理论计算结果为双通放大器输出能量为229.8 mJ.实验在10 Hz时获得单脉冲输出能量216 mJ;400 Hz时获得单脉冲输出能量203.4 mJ,光束质量因子小于5,激光脉宽为16.9 ns.实验结果与理论计算基本吻合.用相位共轭镜取代0°全反镜,超高斯镜取代振荡级输出镜,并采用镜面均匀的光学器件可以改善光束质量及光斑均匀性.     

Optimization of erbium-doped fiber MOPA laser

An erbium-doped fiber laser (EDFL) constructed in a master oscillator and power amplifier (MOPA) configuration is analyzed. The pump powers for the fiber cavity laser and the booster amplifier stages are managed properly to achieve maximal pump conversion efficiency. Our design achieves a pump conversion efficiency of 91.4%, corresponding to a quantum efficiency of 96.6%, for a 1565.8 nm MOPA laser pumped by a total power of 300 mW at 1480 nm. The optimized MOPA laser shows a 25% enhancement in the pump conversion efficiency, compared to a non-MOPA fiber laser. A side lobe suppression ratio of 48 dB for the optimized MOPA laser is observed.     

分布式抽运连续光纤激光器研究

为了避免高功率光纤激光器中光纤端面出现热效应问题,依据多点级联结构的耦合器,对分布式抽运的光纤激光器进行了研究。首先,介绍了实验室自主研制的级联耦合器。然后,分析了耦合器插入对光纤激光器的影响。最后,选用自制的耦合器搭建了分布式抽运的光纤激光器。实验结果表明:对耦合器插入损耗的研究,能够促进高功率级联耦合器的实现。在光纤激光器结构中,975 nm泵浦功率注入1.1 k W时,1 080nm激光功率输出为770 W,光-光转换效率为77%。在主控振荡功率放大结构中,激光功率输出为635 W,放大级的光-光转换效率为78%。分布式抽运方式可以使泵浦光多点注入,避免了热量的集中,能够获得千瓦级的激光功率输出。     

增强谐波辐射的一种新途径

提出用ＭＯＰＡ构型来增强谐波辐射。通过这个构型，人们可以用低能量电子束获得多种短波长和高功率相干光源。     

Beam quality of a high-power CO2 laser MOPA system

In this paper, the effects of amplification of diffraction-limited pulsed CO₂ laser radiation over several meters of amplification length on beam quality and pointing stability are documented. Millijoule pulses are amplified up to 3 J. Generation and amplification of the 10 μm wavelength pulses were performed in the discharge volume of an e-beam sustained CO₂ laser. Beam quality is measured according to the ISO/DIS 11146 standard in terms of the beam quality factor M². Fluence distributions were recorded with a beam analysing system of 100 μm spatial resolution. M² parameter values ranged up to 1.55 for amplified pulse energies of 3 J. The necessity of beam-quality restoring techniques is inferred for the multijoule pulse energy regime.     

1.5kW全光纤线偏振激光器

报道了一台全光纤结构的1.5kW线偏振光纤激光器。激光器采用振荡器结合一级放大的主振荡功率放大器(MOPA)方案。振荡器中心波长为1080nm,工作时输出功率30 W,经放大器一级放大后实现近衍射极限输出,功率达到1.5kW,光-光效率81.5%,消光比13.8dB。这是目前线偏振光纤激光器输出功率的最高值。     

高峰值功率大能量Nd∶Ce∶YAG激光器的研究

将氙灯抽运Nd:Ce:YAG激光器作为主振荡器,一级抽运Nd∶YAG放大,实现了能量为1.8J,脉宽为8ns,束散角为2.3mrad,重复频率为20Hz的激光输出,峰值功率达0.22GW。该激光器体积更小,效率更高,可靠性更强。