Gas-Cooled Disk Modules
In a gas-cooled amplifier, waste heat is removed from the disk laser gain elements by a fast flowing sheets of gas sweeping across the disk surface. The Aqwest gas-cooled amplifier is a subscale demonstrator version of laser driver for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) practiced by the DOE’s National Ignition Facility (NIF) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) but operating at much higher pulse repetition rates of up to 20 Hz.
Aqwest gas-cooled EPDL module with Ø5-cm lasing aperture Yb:YAG ceramic disk pumped by 104-kW pump diodes recently outcoupled 31 J of laser energy. The gain profile is precisely controlled by manipulation of the pump light. Higher pulse energy outputs are obtained with multiple modules in-series. A 3-module configuration is now prepared for operation 2022. This work is supported by grants from the US DOE.
or sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
References:
- J. Vetrovec, US Patent No. 7,200,161, 2007
- J. Vetrovec, “Erbium-Based Gas-Cooled Disk Laser,” Proc. of SPIE vol. 6871, 2008
- J. Vetrovec, D. A. Copeland, and A. Litt, “Yb:YAG ceramic-based laser driver for inertial confinement fusion,” SPIE vol. 9726-45, February 2016
- J. Vetrovec, D.M. Filgas, D.A. Copeland, R. B. Thibault, S. J. Thiagarajan, E. Briscoe,” The Development of a 5-cm Aperture Ceramic Yb:YAG Edge-Pumped Disk Laser Amplifier,” SPIE vol. 10898-18, 2019