title: Highly efficient end-side-pumped Nd:YAG solar laser by a heliostat-parabolic mirror system.
abstract: We report a large improvement in the collection and slope efficiency of an Nd:YAG solar laser pumped by a heliostat-parabolic mirror system. A conical fused silica lens was used to further concentrate the solar radiation from the focal zone of a 2 m diameter primary concentrator to a Nd:YAG single-crystal rod within a conical pump cavity, which enabled multipass pumping to the active medium. A 56 W cw laser power was measured, corresponding to 21.1  W/m2 record-high solar laser collection efficiency with the heliostat-parabolic mirror system. 4.9% slope efficiency was calculated, corresponding to 175% enhancement over our previous result.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Vistas
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guillot