Development of medium power, compact, all-solid-state lasers

We have briefly reviewed some of the applications of diode-pumping to solid-state laser systems. The potential of this combination is already well demonstrated in these few examples which only consider medium-power applications. New highly efficient laser crystals like Yb:YAG, and new pumping schemes like that employed in newly developed thin-disk lasers also appear promising as an alternative approach to medium-high power all-solid-state lasers [44]. High-power systems have also been developed for industrial, medical and environmental applications [45]; their massive use, however, largely depends on diode-bar cost drop, by this time being well-established that the more efficient pumping solution for these high power bulk systems is side-pumping. An increasingly attractive alternative to diode-pumped medium power infrared cw lasers is currently represented by diode-pumped fibre lasers, which generate as much as 35 W in a diffraction-limited beam. This technology offers superior ruggedness and compactness, but is presently limited to cw operation or very low-energy Q-switching. In conclusion, we strongly believe that an improved technology for more reliable and low-cost diode bar production could accelerate the power scale up of DPSS laser systems and quickly push them to fully replace all the other laser competitors. © 1998 Società Italiana di Fisica.