Thermal management in disc lasers: doped-dielectric and semiconductor laser gain media in thin-disc and microchip formats

• Published in: Journal of modern optics Vol. 54; no. 12; pp. 1669 - 1676
• Main Authors: Kemp, Alan J., Maclean, Alexander J., Hopkins, John-Mark, Hastie, Jennifer E., Calvez, Stephane, Dawson, Martin D., Burns, David
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: London Taylor & Francis Group 15.08.2007; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Diode-pumped lasers; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Laser materials; Lasers; Optical materials; Optics; Physics; Semiconductor lasers; laser diodes; Semiconductor lasers; Output power; Temperature effects; Dielectric materials; Diamonds; Thermal conductivity; Laser materials; Optical materials; Diode pumping
• ISSN: 0950-0340; 1362-3044
• DOI: 10.1080/00268970601104988

Finite element and analytical modelling of thermal effects in doped-dielectric and semiconductor disc lasers is used to assess advanced approaches to thermal management. The prospective utility of high thermal conductivity materials such as diamond-particularly to improve the spectral coverage in semiconductor disc lasers and to scale the output power of quasi-monolithic microchip lasers-is illustrated. The potential of materials with strong pump absorption to improve the practicality of doped-dielectric thin-disc lasers, particularly for mobile applications, is also outlined.