Properties of diode laser pumps for high-power solid-state lasers

Diode lasers used to pump high average power solid-state lasers typically have broad spectral width so that most of the pump light is not at the peak of the gain medium's absorption feature. However, the long absorption length in these lasers enables even weakly absorbed light to pump efficiently. The result is that high absorption efficiency and improved pump distribution uniformity are possible when using realistic pump diodes. In addition, both quantities are nearly independent of the pump center wavelength.