title: Design of a high-power, high-brightness Nd:YAG solar laser.
abstract: A simple high-power, high-brightness Nd:YAG solar laser pumping approach is presented in this paper. The incoming solar radiation is both collected and concentrated by four Fresnel lenses and redirected toward a Nd:YAG laser head by four plane-folding mirrors. A fused-silica secondary concentrator is used to compress the highly concentrated solar radiation to a laser rod. Optimum pumping conditions and laser resonator parameters are found through ZEMAX and LASCAD numerical analysis. Solar laser power of 96 W is numerically calculated, corresponding to the collection efficiency of 24  W/m². A record-high solar laser beam brightness figure of merit of 9.6 W is numerically achieved.
authors.forename: Dawei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Dário
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Garcia