High-power Yb:YAG/YAG microchip laser using octagonal-shape waveguide with uniform absorbed power distribution

An innovative architecture for edge-pumped high power microchip laser is introduced. This geometry consists of a Yb:YAG thin disk gain media surrounded by an irregular octagonal undoped YAG cap as pumping light waveguide. The main advantages of the new geometry are high uniform absorption distribution, high absorption efficiency and simple construction to fabricate. Using the Monte Carlo ray tracing method, the pumping process and absorption profile in active medium are simulated. In addition, considering the impact of Yb+3 doping concentration and temperature on thermal conductivity, and based on the finite-difference method the conduction equation was solved and the temperature distribution in the gain media calculated. Based on these simulations, influence of active medium parameters such as core diameter, doping concentration and octagon side sizes ratio on absorption profile and efficiency as well as maximum temperature in gain medium is investigated. High absorption efficiency (over 94%) with perfect top-hat absorption profile has been predicted to be obtained from the designed microchip with optimized parameters. This microchip has a core diameter of 4 or 5mm, 9at% Yb3+ doping concentration and 300μm thickness. An estimation based on laser rate equations shows that with 960W pumping power, more than 600W output power (optical efficiency of 66%) can be extracted from the designed system.