Christian Kränkel

High Power Operation of Yb:LuVO 4 and Yb:YVO 4 Crystals in the Thin-Disk Laser Setup

A thin-disk Yb:LuVO4 laser with 13 W output power at 33% optical-to-optical efficiency and slope efficiency of 50% is demonstrated for the first time. Power scaling of Yb:YVO4 delivers 10 W with 43% slope efficiency.

Continuous-Wave Yb-Doped Sesquioxide Thin Disk Lasers with up to 300 W Output Power and 74% Efficiency

We obtained 301W of output power, 88% slope efficiency, and 74% optical-to-optical efficiency with VBG-diode-pumped Yb:Lu2O3 thin disk lasers. Yb:Sc2O3 and Yb:LuScO3 showed comparable performance, delivering 264W and 250W of output power, respectively.

Efficient Mode-Locked Yb:Lu 2 O 3 Thin Disk Laser with an Average Power of 103 W

We demonstrate power scaling of an Yb:Lu2O3 thin-disk laser to an average power of 103 W setting a new record for mode-locked laser oscillators. The laser generates 885-fs pulses with an optical-to-optical efficiency of 42%.

Thin-Disk Laser Operation of Yb 3+ -Doped NaGd(WO 4 ) 2

We report on high-power Yb:NaGd(WO4)2 laser using the thin-disk geometry. 16.5W of output power at 1.026μm with a slope efficiency of 59% was obtained from a 10.7at%-doped 0.1mm-thin disk under diode-pumping with 42W at 975nm.

Efficient Femtosecond Yb:Lu 2 O 3 Thin Disk Laser

We demonstrate the first mode-locked Yb:Lu2O 3 thin disk laser, obtaining 370-fs pulses with 20.5 W average power. The 43% optical-to-optical efficiency obtained with 523-fs pulses is higher than for previous mode-locked thin disk lasers.

Transition-metal-doped solid-state saturable absorbers for passively Q-switched visible Pr:YLF lasers

We report the first visibly emitting Q-switched laser based on Co²⁺:Gd<inf>3</inf>Ga<inf>5</inf>O<inf>12</inf> as the saturable absorber material and present a detailed characterization of the visible saturable absorption properties of various Co²⁺-doped materials.

Focus issue introduction: Advanced Solid-State Lasers (ASSL) 2016

The editors introduce the focus issue on “Advanced Solid-State Lasers (ASSL) 2016”, which is based on the topics presented at a conference of the same name held in Boston, USA, from October 30 to November 3, 2016. This focus issue, jointly prepared by Optics Express and Optical Materials Express, includes 20 contributed papers (14 for Optics Express and 6 for Optical Materials Express) selected from the voluntary submissions from attendees who presented at the conference and have extended their work into complete research articles. We hope this focus issue provides a useful link to the variety of topical discussions held at the conference and will contribute to the further expansion of the associated research areas.

Broadly Tunable Yb:CALGO Thin Disk Laser with High Efficiency

We obtained 90 nm wavelength tuning with >20 W between 1022 nm and 1072 nm with an Yb:CALGO thin disk laser. This is the widest tuning range of any Yb-doped material at this power level.

Yb-Doped Laser Materials: Advances and Challenges

We review the progress in performance of Yb:YAG, Yb:LuAG, and Yb:Lu2O3 for ultrahigh power generation. Future challenges are the prevention of losses at high Yb inversion densities, further power scaling of thin disk and crystalline waveguide lasers.

Efficient cw Thin Disk Laser Operation of Yb:Ca 4 YO(BO 3 ) 3 with 20 W Output Power

Yb:YCOB is a potential material for short-pulse-generation at high output-powers. A thin-disk-laser with 20.1W output-power at 50% optical-to-optical-efficiency, a slope-efficiency of 60% and a wide tuning range is demonstrated as a step towards this aim.