High-Average-Power Cryogenically-Cooled Diode-Pumped Yb:YAG Laser

Department of Defense (DOD) interset in developing laser weaponary in the 1960's. Solid-State lasers have been a canidate technology from the earliest time, but for various reasons, this technology has not been developed to a point where they are scalable to high average power lasers. The development of diode laser pump arrays has improved efficiency, but at a considerable increase in systems cost. The diode pumped solid state lasers developed to date have several deficiencies in meeting the needs of the DOD. The efficiency of neodymium lasers is too low, 10% to, arguably 15%, to allow a weapons-level device to be proberly packaged on a single platform. The cost is also high, and is primarily driven by the cost of the diode arrays and diode array coolers. If one adds additional requirements for wavelength considerations, these issues become even more debilitating by factors of two or more. In order for this technology to find acceptance, a dramatic improvement in efficiency needs to be found. This Project is exploring the potential of cryogenically cooled solid state lasers to favorably resolve these problems and result in efficieny, effective lasers that can function within existing logistic capabilities in the field.