title: High-average-power Nd:YAG planar waveguide laser that is face pumped by 10 laser diode bars.
abstract: A planar waveguide Nd:YAG laser is pumped with 430 W of power from 10 laser diode bars to produce a multimode output power of 150 W at an optical efficiency of 35%. Use of a hybrid resonator of the positive-branch confocal unstable type for the lateral axis and of one of the near-case I waveguide type for the transverse axis increased the laser brightness by a factor of ~26 with only 12% less power than in the multimode case.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Friel
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Hilton
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Hall