Face-pumped high-average-power low-distortion dye laser

Abstract

We have applied face‐pumping techniques to reduce thermal distortion and thereby improve the high‐average‐power capability of flashlamp‐pumped dye lasers. With our zigzag configuration, no distortion could be observed at an average input power of 1 kW. At 1.8 kW input (600 J at 3 pps) we obtained over 1 W output (nearly 0.06% efficiency) from Rhodamine 6G with no beam distortion. Proportionally higher output power is expected at higher repetition rates, and higher efficiency is expected from future versions of this laser with smaller apertures than the present 9 cm².