High-brightness mid-infrared slab lasers

这是一个物理学博士研究项目。对于在中红外波长范围内操作的远高于100 W输出功率的高功率激光器的需求日益增加。Tm掺杂和Ho掺杂的固态板条激光器架构可以为在这种制度下工作的光纤激光器提供有吸引力的替代方案，因为它们有可能在输出功率方面显着缩放，同时保持小的光学足迹，这对于一系列应用至关重要。研究的挑战是同时提高板条激光器的输出功率和光束质量，到目前为止，板条激光器在板条平面内表现出高度多模输出。在这个博士项目中，将与现有的工业合作伙伴合作研究许多方法，包括：1）设计，开发和演示混合稳定-不稳定掺Tm板条激光器，旨在实现两个平面的近衍射极限光束。2)通过在激光腔中光学组合新型高功率激光二极管堆和多个增益晶体来缩放掺Tm板条激光器的输出功率。3)设计、开发和演示一种基于特殊设计的激光晶体几何结构的全内反射的Tm板条激光器。该研究项目将利用Heriot-Watt激光器件物理和工程组提供的激光设计工具，设备和专业组件。

This is a PhD research project in Physics. There is an increasing demand for high power lasers well above 100W output power operating in the mid-infrared wavelength range. Tm-doped and Ho-doped solid-state slab laser architectures can provide attractive alternatives to fibre lasers operating in this regime, since they have the potential to be scaled significantly in output power while maintaining a small optical footprint, which is essential for a range of applications. The research challenge is to simultaneously improve the output power and beam quality of the slab laser, which up to now demonstrated highly multi-mode output in the plane of the slab. In this PhD project there are a number of approaches that will be researched in collaboration with existing industrial partners, including: 1) Design, develop and demonstrate a hybrid stable-unstable Tm-doped slab laser with the aim to achieve near diffraction-limited beams in both planes. 2) Scaling the output power of a Tm-doped slab laser by optical combining novel high power laser diode stacks and multiple gain crystals in the laser cavity. 3) Design, develop and demonstrate a Tm-slab laser based on total internal reflection in a specially designed laser crystal geometry. This research project will utilise the laser design tools, equipment and specialist components available in the Laser Device Physics and Engineering group at Heriot-Watt.