title: Thin-disk laser scaling limit due to thermal lens induced misalignment instability.
abstract: We present a fundamental obstacle in power scaling of thin-disk lasers related to self-driven growth of misalignment due to thermal lens effects. This self-driven growth arises from the changes of the optical phase difference at the disk caused by the excursion of the laser eigen-mode from the optical axis. We found a criterion based on a simplified model of this phenomenon, which can be applied to design laser resonators insensitive to this effect. Moreover, we propose several resonator architectures that are not affected by this effect.
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schuhmann
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kirch
authors.forename: Francois
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nez
authors.forename: Randolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pohl
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antognini