High-efficiency solar-pumped TEM00-mode Nd:YAG laser

Dawei Liang (1) , Joana Almeida (1) , Cláudia R. Vistas (1) , Emmanuel Guillot (2)

1 CEFITEC - Centro de Física e Investigação Tecnológica [Lisboa]
2 PROMES - Procédés, Matériaux et Energie Solaire

Here we report a significant progress in solar-pumped laser slope efficiency and collection efficiency by pumping a 4.0mm diameter grooved Nd:YAG single-crystal rod with a heliostat-parabolic mirror solar energy concentration system. The incoming solar radiation is firstly collected and focused by the system. An ellipsoid-shaped fused silica concentrator is then used to further compress the concentrated solar radiation into the grooved rod within a 2V-shaped pumping cavity. 4.5W continuous-wave TEM00 -mode (M 2≤1.1) 1064nm solar laser power is finally measured, attaining 2.36% laser slope efficiency, which is 3.37 and 2.91 times higher than previous records by Fresnel lens and parabolic mirror respectively. Record-high TEM00 -mode solar laser collection efficiency of 4.0W/m2 is also achieved

Keywords: Solar-pumped laser; Single-mode laser; Resonator; Parabolic mirror; Solar heliostat; Neodymium

Domains: Engineering Sciences [physics]; Optics / Photonic

Dawei Liang, Joana Almeida, Cláudia R. Vistas, Emmanuel Guillot. High-efficiency solar-pumped TEM00-mode Nd:YAG laser. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 2016, 145, pp.397-402. ⟨10.1016/j.solmat.2015.11.001⟩. ⟨hal-01484091⟩