High-energy diode-pumped D2O-cooled multi-slab Yb:YAG and Yb:QX-glass lasers

We investigated lasing performance of a two-slab Yb:QX glass, a two and a four-slab Yb:YAG laser amplifier which were facet-cooled. As coolant di-Deuterium Oxyde (D2O) flowed between the active slabs while the pump and the laser light were passing through the very low absorbing heavy-water films. A square pump profile with a maximum intensity of 40 kW/cm2 drove the amplifier with a peak fluence of 5.5 J/cm2 at a pulse duration of 6 ns. We demonstrated a maximum pulse energy of 1 J for each gain medium as well as a repetition rate of 10 Hz for Yb:YAG and 1Hz for Yb:QX glass.